Battle of the Cliques
by dee87
Summary: Edward, Bella, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie are all the leaders of cliques at Forks High School. They absolutely hate each other. When forced to spend time together, they discover they all have one thing in common. Possible future lemons. Slightly OOC! Eventual Cannon Pairings! R&R
1. Edward

**A/N: Okay, so this a story that I've seen done twice before, but the author's never finished it. I'm adding my own twist so it's not plagiarism. These next few chapters will be introductions. Hope you enjoy! R&R!**

**Summary: Edward, Bella, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie are all students at Forks High School. They are all the leaders of different cliques. They absolutely_ hate _each other. When forced to spend time together in order to resolve their issues, they discover they all have one thing in common. Will it be enough to stop them from killing each other? All human. **

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><p><em>Behind every manwhore…<em>

_theres a girl who messed him up…  
>and a girl who can fix him.<em>

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><p><em><span>Edward:<span>_

I woke up next to a blonde girl whose name I didn't know. I groaned and stretched groggily as I stood up. I didn't remember any of the events of last night. My phone was on the floor with the little blinking light that indicated I had a message. _Maybe I might find some clues as to what happened, _I thought_._ I picked it up and checked the inbox. There were 50 text messages total, but I only cared about the more recent ones. There were two from yesterday and three from today. The first one read:

From: Cindy(:  
>At 10:03 p.m.<p>

Subject: None

_R u ready yet? We're right  
>around the corner. Go outside.<br>-C&B 02.10.11_

_Oh, that's right. Me, Cindy, Ben, and Bonnie went to the club,_ I thought. Cindy was my best wingman Ben's girlfriend and Bonnie was Ben's sister. I remember getting ready and waiting for them on my porch. We drove about an hour and a half to Club 21 in Seattle. I remember seeing a pretty red head and dancing with her. I bought her a drink and one hour later she sent me her number. This would explain the next message that read:

From: Jennifer Cooper  
>At 12:39<p>

Subject: My Number

_Hey Edward. It's me Jenny. Um..  
>So this my number.. Please don't<br>send me any chain letters cus i  
>saw the movie and it freaked me<br>out! LMAO! :D  
>-xo jen<em>

I must have replied something rude or perverted because the next message said:

From: Jennifer Cooper  
>At 12:42<p>

Subject: RE: My Number

_Ew! WTF?  
>-xo jen<em>

_Hmm… oh well, whatever_, I thought. The next one was:

From: Ben(:  
>At 12:57<p>

Subject: HELP!

_Hey dude! Help me out here!  
>Some blonde bimbo is drunk &amp;<br>she's all on me! Cindy went to  
>the restroom and if she comes<br>back and sees this, well… ALL  
>HELL WILL BREAK LOOSE! :O<br>-ben_n_

"Ohh!.." I said out loud. At that moment I realized the girl was still in my bed. I turned around to check if she had woken up. She stirred a little but went back to sleep. Well, now I knew how I hooked up with the girl. I continued reading and the last message read:

From: Bonnie(:  
>At 1:52<p>

Subject

_Hey man where you at? We said  
>1:30 and Cindy is gettin' pissed!<br>You know how she gets when  
>she's mad!<br>- lil' bonnie_

I realized I was standing in my boxers in the middle of the room and that I had half an hour to get to school. "Shit!" I muttered. I started rushing around the room trying to find some clothes. I settled for a pair of jeans and a black button down shirt.

"Heyy," said the girl, still naked in my bed.

"Umm… Hey. I'm sorry, but what's your name again?" I asked trying to be polite but straightforward.

"Uh, Desiree?" She said, making it sound like a question.

"Uh, okay. Well, I have to go to school but Esme will take care of you. Sooo… bye!" I told her and rushed out the door, grabbing my keys. Inside the garage, I jumped into my silver Volvo and turned it on, but before I could leave, I saw my adoptive mother approaching, not looking very happy.

"Edward! Would you like to explain who the young lady in your bedroom is this time?" She asked. Nope, she wasn't happy at all.

"Mmm… Not really, no." I replied.

"Do you even know this one's name?" she questioned.

"Um, Destiny… I think." I mumbled the last part.

She sighed, looking disappointed and slightly amused. I took my chance to make my escape. "Well, bye mom! Love you!" I pecked her on the cheek and took off. I took a peak in the rear view mirror where I could see her shaking her head, chuckling. Damn. She was really just to loving and caring and understanding and nice! Her birthday was coming up, so I'd have to get her something really special! I really loved her. She was the only woman I loved. She was my mom.

As I drove to school I remembered times when I loved another person. Another woman, in a non-motherly way. I remembered the good times we'd had, outside the bedroom. I also remembered what had happened to me when she stopped loving me. I never really stopped loving _her_. She was so perfect, she made my life complete. It was because of her that I am the way I am. She broke my heart, and to this day, for some reason, I _still _love her.


	2. Bella

**A/N: Thanks for reading! I wasn't going to upload until tomorrow, but since yesterday was my birthday, I was feeling good. I actually spent most of yesterday and today writing this. It's pretty long. Anyways, thanks again! Enjoy!**

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><p><em>&amp; all the shit you go through...<br>just makes you that much stronger. _

Bella:

I finished teasing my hair and ran downstairs. Charlie was in the kitchen eating eggs and bacon. He took in my black fluffed hair with red highlights, my black Misfits shirt over which I was wearing my black leather jacket with black skinny jeans, and my, surprise surprise, black knee-length converse. His eyes narrowed the tiniest bit, and he raised one eyebrow slightly, but he didn't comment on my outfit. In fact, he didn't say anything at all. No "good morning" or even a "hi". It didn't bother me at all. I was used to it. I ignored him just as he ignored me. No, it was more like he ignored me _because_ I ignored him. Grabbing a granola bar and my car keys, I strided out the front door, thinking about Charlie. He had given up on communication a long time ago. I sighed as I stared at the floor, leaning on the door, remembering old times. It hadn't always been this way. There had been happy times before, but they had ceased to exist a very long time ago…

**Flashback**

It was a rare, sunny afternoon in late July. Dad was sitting next to me in a small, rented row boat. We were in the middle of a large lake with all our fishing gear. The environment was peaceful as the warm, lazy wind blew through my hair. It was my 7th birthday, and Dad had the important task of getting me away from the house while Mom set up the backyard for my surprise birthday party. It was going to be small, just my parents, my aunt Jenny and her daughter Penny, and a few friends. Of course, I had "_no idea_" there would be a party waiting for us when we got back from our fishing trip.

Dad had cast his line about an hour ago, but he still hadn't caught anything. It was a new hobby of his, and he wasn't very good at it. I liked fishing, but after hours of not catching anything, I got bored. I had brought one of my favorite books, The Austere Academy from A Series of Unfortunate Events. I was on an exciting part in the story when my dad jumped and yelled, "I got one! I got one!"

I jumped too, not only because he startled me, but also because it surprised me he actually caught a fish. He fumbled with the fishing pole until he was able to reel it in. Out of the water jumped a three foot fish. It was a fat, gray fish that could probably pin me to the ground, and it was flipping and flopping in the boat, while Dad was trying to catch it with the net he brought just in case something like this ever happened. I don't think either of us had anticipated anything like this _ever _happening. Dad tried desperately for the next ten minutes to stop the fish from jumping out of the boat or pouncing on my small figure. All the while, I was screaming my head off.

When the fish was finally too tired to put up a fight, and I had stopped destroying our eardrums, Dad grabbed it with his hands, as his net was too small, and tried to put it in an empty bucket. However, the fish was too big and heavy, so he toppled backwards, off the edge of the boat, and into the river with the fish still in his arms. He made a big splash that completely drenched me from head to toe. I looked like a wet cat. He started climbing back into the boat, but when he saw my expression, he cracked up, He laughed so much, that he fell out again. This caused me to start laughing, which caused him to stop laughing. He climbed back in for the second time with a scowl on his face.

"Oh, lighten up Dad. You're such a grumpy, old man," I joked. He cracked a smile at my remark.

**End of Flashback**

I was still standing at the door. I had been so absorbed in my thoughts that time had flown by. Shaking my head, I headed for my car. When I got to the driver's door, I noticed a tall, buff man leaning on my car. He had russet colored skin, dark eyes, and jet black hair pulled back into a small pony tail at the nape of his neck. I recognized him instantly. My breath caught in my throat, and I felt a little dizzy. I started to hyperventilate as I took a step toward him. I kept my hands in my pockets, my palms sweaty. He smiled as I approached. My shoe lace was untied, and I tripped.

I couldn't get my hands out fast enough so I braced myself for the crash. Preparing for the sidewalk to hit me in the face, I fumbled with my hands, willing them to come out, but they were stuck. Some part of me hoped for strong hands to grab me by the waist and prevent me from my fate. Yet I knew the hands would never come. No, they wouldn't, because he wouldn't take a few seconds to help from falling.

Suddenly, two strong hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me to a standing position.

"Jacob?" I asked.

"Hey Bells," he said.

"Umm… Thank you? Are you okay?" I asked, not able to believe he had just done that. A small gesture of kindness… from him? To me?

"I think I'm supposed to ask that, but thanks for worrying. I'm okay, are you?" He chuckled, smiling at my bemused expression. Why was he asking about my well being? He didn't care about me, so why was he acting like he did. Then, as if in response to my unspoken question, he waved behind me and said with a smile, "Good morning Charlie." Oh. I knew it was too good to be true. I looked behind me to see my dad respond, "Hey Jake. How's Billy? I haven't seen him in a while."

"He's doing good. Well, as good as he can in that wheelchair of his," he chuckled again.

"Okay, tell him I said hi. See you around Jake." My dad replied with a final wave.

"Bye, Charlie."

As soon as Charlie was inside, Jake pulled me towards the forest. He handled me roughly, so differently from how he touched me so gently a few moments ago. He tugged on my wrist, making me jog to keep up with his brisk pace. When we were deep enough into the woods so no one could see us, he spun me around so fast I was light-headed again. He faced me, giving me a murderous glare. Then he grabbed my face and said in a sickly sweet voice, "I didn't want the concrete to have the honor of damaging that pretty little face of yours. I wanted to do it myself." He spat the last part as he raised his hand in half a second, letting go of my face and bringing it down hard equally fast.

I held my cheek with one hand, bending over and placing the other hand on my knee. I took deep breaths to prevent passing out. I knew that if I fainted now, he would leave me lying on the forest floor. Tears were stinging my eyes as I thought of the happy times we had before he started getting abusive.

**Flashback**

"Bella! Hurry up, we're going to be-" his words caught in his mouth as I walked down the stairs and he took in my body. I was dressed in a brown, strapless, dress that hugged my entire upper body to make the curves look more defined. It flowed from my waist to just bellow my knees in a beautiful skirt. (Picture on profile)

"Wow, Bells. You look... like… wow" I smiled and blushed a little as he stuttered, trying to find words for how I looked. Today was Emily and Sam's wedding. It was a quiet event with only about 70 people. Only Sam's relatives, Emily's relatives, and some close friends. Jacob was a groomsmen, and was one of the bridesmaids. Sam was one of Jacob's best friends, and I had always considered Emily like a mother, since my own had left us.

Renee had left my dad and I abandoned when I was 8 years old, so she could run off with one of my dad's co-workers. His name was Phil, and he was just a rookie police officer. Since my dad was chief of police, and Phil feared him, they ran from Forks, and now lived in Phoenix, Arizona.

"Bells, you look… great." He finally managed to get the words out.

"Thanks" I said. He offered me his arm and I took it.

The world seemed completely at peace as we drove to the church and got to our places. The last of the people were filling the church. I took my position behind the tall, dark, wooden doors. The wedding march started to play, the doors opened, I held my breath. After the maid of honor and a couple other bridesmaids passed in front of me, it was my turn to walk the isle.

The church was adorned stunningly. The walls were covered in beige and brown sashes. Yellow roses were found everywhere, their sweet aroma filling the air. Everything looked so perfect.

With Jacob at my side, I held my bouquet closer to my stomach and walked. They were all yellow daisies with one white rose in the middle. I prayed to God I wouldn't trip and make a fool out of myself.

"It's okay, I won't let you fall." Jacob whispered to me.

I squeezed his arm in gratitude, and he squeezed back in reassurance. For a moment, I allowed myself to dream of walking the isle with my dad at my side. Jacob would be at the other end, with his warm smile. I would be dressed in white, holding a red bouquet in my hands. The vision was blurry and something didn't seem right about it.

I dismissed it as I was brought out of my daydreams moments later when we reached the altar and stepped aside. Jacob took his place next to Jared, the best man, and Paul, another groomsman. I was positioned in between a girl who I thought was named Rebecca, and another girl who I'd never seen.

When Emily came out with her aunt walking her, she looked amazing. Her white dress was simple, but sophisticated. It was long, without a train, and had a dark, pale golden strip of fabric under her chest that wrapped around her ribcage. In the center, it had a large metal diamond with lots of rhinestones. Her hair was done up in an elegant bun with side swept bangs. They covered the right side of her face which had three long scars from being mauled by a bear. She had long, white gloves to cover her arms. Emily had a big smile on her face, and she looked like the happiest woman on Earth as she stared at Sam, who looked like the happiest man on Earth.

I hoped that someday, _I_ would be able to feel that way.

**End of Flashback**

I knew now, facing Jacob's angry face that I would never be able to fall in love. I would never be able to have a fairytale wedding, or a happy ending. I don't think it was even possible for me to be happy anymore.

_Another slap._

I hated my life. My miserable excuse for a life.

_A punch in the stomach._

I just wanted to die. I think death would be loads better than going through this. I wished he would slip up and beat me so much that I died. He never did. This was routine now. He didn't even bother to explain why he was doing it anymore, and I didn't bother to beg him to stop either.

_A kick._

Every time he hit me, it wasn't just the physical pain, but the memories it brought back. I remembered times when we had been great friends. There were times when he had been so sweet, when he had been a caring, honest, trusting man. Now he was so different. Ever since he started hanging out with Quil and Embry, it was like he hated me. He didn't bring me flowers from his backyard, or held me when I cried. He didn't want to watch movies with me, or take walks, or go to the beach with me anymore. He didn't want me anymore. But he wouldn't let me go either. He didn't let me talk to any guys, even after I had repeated numerous times that they were just friends. In fact, he didn't even let me talk to _any_ friends, girls or gay guys or anyone.

_Another kick._

He had changed, but more importantly, he had changed me.

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><p><strong>Hope you liked it! <strong>Thanks for reading! You're awesome! <strong>p.s. I have NOTHING against homosexuals! I have lots of gay and bi friends and, honestly, their always more fun! p.s.s. Reviews make my day! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to p.m. me or leave a review. Thanks!**

**:Dee**


	3. Emmett

**Enjoy!**

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><p><em>Every little boy says their father is the best man in the world.<br>Every little boy is mistaken._

Emmett:

I woke up to the blaring noise that my alarm clock made when it was 6:45 a.m. I meant to roll over, stretch my hand, and slam the thing. Instead, I rolled over, and fell off of my bed.

"Argh! What the hell! Who pushed me off?" I asked. Then I realized I was the only one in the room, that I was talking to myself, and that I was still on the floor. "Never mind." I mumbled and stood up.

I got dressed and headed downstairs. My father was at the table, reading the newspaper and eating breakfast. Wait… _My_ _father_ was at the table, reading the newspaper and eating breakfast. "Hey Champ!" He greeted me.

"Dad!" I yelled, running over to him and embracing him in a bear hug.

He chuckled and hugged me back. "Haha, you get stronger every time I see you."

"Where do you think I get that from?" I asked sarcastically. My father was Michael McCarty, a world champion boxer. He was the strongest person I had ever met! In many ways, he was my idol.

"You're getting really big. I remember when you were just a little boy, running around the house, pretending to be a super-strong superhero."

"Yeah, I guess the gym has been paying off." I mumbled uncomfortably.

"Well, keep doing whatever it is you're doing. In a few years, you're going to be bigger than me." He chuckled. My father was _also _the most light-hearted person, and the most oblivious person I had ever met.

"So… What brings you to this part of the country?" Being an awesome boxer had its up's, but it also had its down's. In my opinion, the worst part of his job was the traveling. He went to really neat places all over the world, but he never took me. I had been pretty much stuck with my grandmother until I was 13. That was the year she died. It was also the year I moved to Forks, Washington to stay with my aunt Mary, my cousin Alice, and my Uncle Brandon.

My mother left after I was born. My parents were both seniors in college at the time. They had been going out together since their sophomore year, and they were planning on getting married after college. All her life, she wanted to be an actress, and she wasn't going to let a child ruin her life. She was going to have an abortion, but after a giant argument that ended with their break-up, my father convinced her to let him take care of me. His parents wanted him to be a layer, but he hated it. He had never been one to follow rules much. He said it depressed him to read about so many laws, half of which he had already broken or had planned to. He dropped out of law school and took a job at the local gym. He worked as a personal trainer for a while before deciding it wasn't what he wanted. He went on to try boxing and fell in love with it. He loved the smell of sweaty gym in the morning, the feel of the sandbag under his fist, the burn of his muscles as he pushed his limits. Not only did he adore every minute of boxing, he was also very talented at it. He worked really hard, but eventually he got to where he is now.

"Well, I was in the state, and I happened to notice that the first game of the season is next week…" he trailed off suggestively.

"No way! You came home to go to _my_ game?" I asked excitedly.

"You bet I did!" he replied with the same enthusiasm.

"Oh my god Dad! You just made my day! No, my week!"

"Speaking of day, it's getting late. You better go to school. I have to go to Seattle to run some errands, but afterschool we could go somewhere for some father-son bonding time. How about we go to the movies and the dinner?"

"Sure Dad! That'll be great." I said as I got up, grabbed my backpack and my keys.

I gave him a high five and left. I went to the garage and started up my big red Jeep. As I sped down the road to school, I thought of my dad. I thought of how badly I wanted to make him proud and how much I hated disappointing him. I thought about the syringe and the vile in my backpack. Most of all, I thought of what would happened if he found out why I was so big and strong. I imagined what would happen if he found out I was a failure, a failure on steroids.

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry this chapter was kind of short & I haven't updated as soon as you guys would have liked, but I was terribly busy. Not to mention, my internet crashed so I haven't had access to the internet in a few days. That meant no Facebook, no Youtube, no GOOGLE! (that was the worst part) & sadly, no Fanfiction…**

**p.s. Did you guys notice how I said he lives with his aunt MARY, his cousin ALICE, and his uncle BRANDON? Pretty clever huh? :D**

***Reviews make my day ;D**

**:Dee**


	4. Rosalie

**Song: Ain't No Rest for The Wicked by Cage The Elephant**

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><p><em>I was walking down the street<br>when out the corner of my eye,  
>I saw a pretty little thing approaching me.<em>

_She said I've never seen a man who  
>looked so well alone.<br>Could you use a little company?  
>If you pay the right price,<br>your evening will be nice  
>and you can go and send me on my way.<em>

_I said you're such a sweet young thing  
>why do you do this to yourself?<br>She looked at me and this is what she said:_

_Oh, there ain't no rest for the wicked.  
>Money don't grow on trees.<br>I got bills to pay,  
>I got mouths to feed,<br>& ain't nothing in this world for free.  
>No, I can't slow down,<br>I can't hold back,  
>though you know I wish I could.<br>Oh no, there ain't no rest for the wicked  
>until we close our eyes for good.<em>

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><p><em>Payback is a bitch.<em>

Rosalie:

I woke up next to a middle aged man who could use a breath mint and a good workout. The air smelled of alcohol and tobacco. I pulled the covers off and slipped out of bed. It was already 7:40. I had to hurry up, or I would end up in detention again. I grabbed my clothes and threw them on hastily before searching for money. He had already paid me, but I wanted more. I found his wallet and looked inside. He had a couple hundred dollar bills and a few twenties. He had 2 credit cards and his license. I took all of it. With this, I should be able to pay for my mother's drugs. My mother was addicted to heroin.

Lillian Hale was a young, stupid, and spoiled only child. Her parents owned a successful fast food chain. After she got pregnant with me, her boyfriend dumped her and her parents disowned her. They had been strict Christians, and they thought she was a disgrace. She ran away to Forks, the smallest town she could find. She quit the drugs for a while. She worked at a bar, leaving me with the neighbor. When I turned 10, her "friends" convinced her to take some cocaine. It became a weekly thing. She did smaller drugs before I was born.

I grabbed my bag and started for the door but when my hand reached the door handle, another hand tugged on my arm.

"Not so fast, sugar." The man's disgusting voice said.

"What?" I spat, irritated.

"You know what. My wallet." He replied, stretching out his other pudgy hand.

"You didn't pay me enough." I said.

"Honey, I gave you 200 bucks. I think that was a little more than enough." He answered in a bored voice.

"Well you were wrong. It wasn't." I said, trying to shake him off.

"If you want more, then so do I." he drawled.

"Fuck you!" I yelled.

"Exactly." He said.

He grabbed me violently and threw me on the floor. I scrambled to get up, but by now he was already on top of me. I tried to wiggle out from under him, but he was so fat. He started to pull his boxers off when I spotted his belt on the floor next to me. I grabbed it and tried to hit him with it.

"So you like it rough?" he cackled.

"Oh, I'll give you rough." I replied with venom in my voice.

I wrapped the belt around his throat and squeezed. His hands let go of my body at once. He reached up to the belt trying desperately to pry it off. I only squeezed harder.

The bastard was going to pay now.

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry this one was a little short. Okay, a lot short. The previous one was also kind of short so I uploaded them together. If you want to see more of Rosalie's sadistic side, I suggest you read my new one-shot, Last Caress. I haven't uploaded it yet because I'm still putting in the finishing touches, but I'll tell you guys when it's ready. It's pretty gruesome… Reviews make my day!**

**:Dee**


	5. Jasper

**A/N: Sorry it's been forever since I updated.. I've been super busy! But hey, over 600 hits! You guys are amazing! Thanks to all the people who have read this story and an even bigger thanks to those who have reviewed! A really really big thanks to those who have added the story to Story Alerts & Favorited! Thanks! Love you guys! :Dee**

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><p><strong>Song: Run This Town- Miss May I<strong>

_I'm addicted to the thrill  
>It's a dangerous love affair<em>

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><p>Jasper:<p>

"You gonna smoke now?" Peter asked, offering me what seemed like his fourth blunt.

"Nah, I just did some coke." I replied in a slightly slurred voice.

"Dude... Um, never mind." He said.

"What?" I asked.

"I forgot... Oh yeah! Do you have anymore eye drops?"

"I think so. Hold on let me find them." I searched my backpack until I found a small bottle with a clear liquid inside. It had a label that read: _Visine: Red Eye Relief_. I tossed the bottle to Peter but he didn't catch it.

"Whoa. What did you throw at me?" he asked, confused.

"The eye drops, stupid. How much have you had?" I asked.

"Not that much..." he stared off into space.

"Dude... What would happen if a set of identical girl twins got married with a set of identical guy twins? If both couples had a kid... would they be identical?" he asked the wall.

"Dude, I'm over here." I waved at him from the floor.

"What would happen, Jasper?" he asked in a voice that sounded like the voice of that other pothead from the double-rainbow video.

"I don't know..." He kept starring at me like I was some sort of genius that had an answer to all his stupid questions. I had to admit though, this question was actually good. Usually he asked things like "If I go to Antarctica, will I be upside down?" or "Is there really a Candy Mountain, Charlie?" and "Is Marylin Monroe still alive? I'd sure like to tap that!" Sometimes we would actually get him high just so he could act stupid, and we could laugh. He didn't mind though. Peter was by far, the biggest pothead in town. He was also my best friend, my favorite cousin, and my only family.

I didn't know my mother or father. They had dumped me in an orphanage when I was just 2 months old. My aunt adopted me when I was 7, but she died when I was 13. My uncle was an addict who was always in and out of rehab. He died when I was 17With no one else around, Peter and I were going to be sent to a foster home. We ran away and moved to Seattle. There we went to high school during the day and worked at a local warehouse at night. This changed when Peter started skipping school and work to hang out with "friends". They got him into drugs and soon after, he got me into them too. Peter got into some sort of trouble and we had to run away again. We moved to Forks, but we couldn't get jobs. I started selling drugs to pay for the small two bedroom apartment we were currently staying at. It turns out, since I'm the only dealer in town, I can charge pretty big prices.

"Jasper?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise me something."

"Depends. What do you want?"

"Promise me that, if you ever get married-"

"Whoa! Okay, I'm gonna stop you right there. First of all, you sound like a fag. More than usual. And second, I'm not getting married. Ever."

"Why?" he asked, sounding like a little kid asking why he couldn't get toy.

"Because, gay lord, I need a _girl _for that." I replied.

"Well, it's not too late for that. You can still get one."

"I already have one. Her name is Mary Jane." I laughed.

"How come you haven't told me about her until now?" he asked in mock outrage. "I have one too. She's a real heroine!"

I laughed at him.

"Okay, but be serious now."

"I don't think that's possible for you."

He ignored me and continued, "You have to get married so I can be-"

"If I promise to let you be my best man if I ever get married, which I won't, will you shut up?" I asked.

"I was going to ask to be flower girl but sure, that'll work just fine too."

I laughed at him again.

"But really, you have to get a real girl." He paused to think, something he rarely did. "I think I could hook you up with my cousin Heidi." He was getting excited.

"The only cousin you have is me! You've had too much." I stood up, took his blunt, and dropped it in the ashtray.

"Nooooooooooo! You will suffer the wrath of Bloody Mary! Ooooohhhh!"

I laughed and grabbed my backpack. "I'm going to school, I'll be back later."

"You're not taking me?" He gave me his funniest puppy dog smile. I think it was meant for me to feel sympathy toward him but it only made me laugh. Peter was older than me by about a year, but to me, he was like a little brother.

"If you go to school like this, you'll get suspended. They might call the cops again and you're supposed to be on probation."

"Why am_ I _on probation? I'm an angel!" he yelled in outrage. This made me laugh harder.

"You? Angel? Hardly." I scoffed. "Just stay here, okay. There's food in the fridge."

I left the room, but not without first hearing him make garbage truck noises. Peter was awesome.

Outside in the apartment corridor that led to the stairs, my smile completely vanished. Peter didn't know how much his words hurt. He didn't see how I flinched whenever he said her name. He didn't know how it ripped my heart out whenever he mentioned getting another girlfriend. He had no clue about my relationship with Heidi. He didn't even remember her. I had drugged him enough to make him completely forget her. He brings up her name from time to time and asks me if I knew her because her name kept floating around in his hollow head. I always deny it and tell him he's just an amnesic crack-head.

I met her during my time in the orphanage. She and I had been the best of friends. A few years after my aunt took me in, she got adopted by an old man. She told he beat her and raped her. I wanted to help so when my uncle died, I suggested she run away with us. She accepted and went with us. We started dating. Once, in Seattle, she worked at a bar while we worked at the old warehouse. She begged me to quit the drugs, but I didn't listen. I fell in love with her. We got serious.

The night we fled Seattle was the night I was going to ask her to marry me. I'd made a reservation at a nice restaurant, the nicest I could afford. I didn't have a ring, but I had bought her a silver locket. I dressed up to look as presentable as I could. I remember sitting in front of her across the table, looking straight into her eyes, holding her hand and asking her to spend the rest of her days with me. I remember her eyes, those strangely beautiful violet eyes, tearing up, her head nodding, and a tiny squeak that escaped her lips saying yes.

I remember being at home, her lips on mine, her body so close, her dress in a heap on the floor next to mine. I remember that blissful night like it was yesterday. I remember the panicked call I got from Peter at 3 in the morning. I remember the drive down to pick Peter up and the the drive out of town. Most of all, I remember the way the car slid across the icy road, down the bridge and into the river. If I close my eyes, I can see the fear sketched very clearly across Heidi's face as Peter dragged me to the surface, leaving my love to drown and sink with the car.

My love, my life, my soul, my everything.

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><p><strong>AN: Hope you guys liked it! Just one more intro left! Reviews make my day! If I can get 10 for this chapter I'll update in less than a week!**

**:Dee**


	6. Alice

**A/N: thanks for over 1000 hits! This is the last intro chapter. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: i do not in any way own any characters you might recognize (x**

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><p><strong>Song: Daddy's Little Girl- Frankie J<strong>

_Sick of crying, tired of trying;_  
><em>yeah I'm smiling, but inside I'm dying…<em>

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><p><strong>Alice:<strong>

"Oh. My. Gosh. I am soo fat! There is no way I'm ever going to fit into the new Prada fall fashion line like this!" I ranted. It was true though! I was totally gaining weight!

"Alice! Did you eat breakfast yet!" My mother yelled at me from downstairs. _What_? Was she _serious_? I was just admiring how fat I am and she wants me to eat _more_!

"Uh, yahh!" I lied. I didn't like to lie to my mother but times like these called for drastic measures. I mean, it wasn't a complete lie. I did eat a granola bar. I even chugged it down with a glass of milk. Come to think of it, I ate a lot! That must be why I'm so fat. I know just what I have to do!

I ran to my bathroom and kneeled by the toilet. I held my hair back, away from my face, with one hand, and held my toothbrush with the other. I took a deep breath, bracing myself for the disgusting act I was about to perform. With the brush-less side of the toothbrush, I poked deep into my throat. After poking a few times, I puked out all the contents inside my stomach. I rinsed my mouth and washed my hands and face. I let out a sigh as I dried myself. I wobbled back to my room to sit down. Throwing up always made me a little woozy.

The next thing I knew it was already 7:30. "Crap!" I yelled as I ran around the room, grabbing my things. Hmm, I must have fallen asleep again. I was often dozing off. I had gone to sleep at two in the morning and woken up at five. It's not my fault! I have a totally justified reason! The Drama Club is putting together the play Romeo & Juliet and I'm in charge of the costumes! Not to mention the make-up, props, lighting… Well, you get the idea. I'm pretty much in charge of putting the whole thing together. Of course, the play isn't until spring, but I don't do all that last minute B.S. In the end, it will come together perfectly and it will be totally worth every second and every penny!

I quickly applied my make-up, making sure to completely cover the dreadful dark circles under my eyes. Then I skipped downstairs to grab my keys and coat. On my way to the door, the mirror caught my eye. In it I saw a tiny pixie-like girl. She was very well dressed in dark skinny jeans and a beautifully beaded pink blouse. Her dark hair stuck out in all directions. Compared to this morning, she didn't seem that fat anymore, and there were no signs of tiredness. Satisfied, I smiled, and it seemed genuine.

Inside my garage, I turned on my gorgeous yellow 911 Turbo Porsche. It was my most prized possession. As I admired my race car, my mother walked in. She gave me a quick hug and said, "Good morning Mary. How did you sleep?" She was the only one allowed to call me by my first name.

"Fine, Mother." I answered as she turned on her black Audi r8. We had a thing for race cars.

She looked at me skeptically. "Really? You seem tired. Drink some coffee."

"I'll stop by Starbucks." I replied. I absolutely loved Starbucks.

"I'll be home late again." She said.

"Again? Mom, it's movie night." I whined.

"I know honey, but I can't tonight. I have too much work. We're finishing up Kim's wedding." My mother was currently working on one of the world's most epic weddings. _Kim Kardashian's _wedding!

"You said that last Friday, and the Friday before that," I complained

"I'm sorry honey, but it's my job! What do you want me to do?"

"It's fine. It doesn't matter." I answered in a defeated tone.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Your uncle will be staying with us for a while." She said. "He was here earlier; he just left to run some errands." She said.

"Emmett's dad?"

"Do you have any other uncles?"

"Oh, no. It's just, I thought he was somewhere in New York or something." Jesus, nobody tells me anything nowadays.

"He came home for Emmett's birthday."

"But that's not until next month."

"I know, but Emmett's big game is next week."

"Oh, right. He's the one with the dad who cares," I answered sourly.

She sighed. "Alice, your father cared too."

"Cared. Past tense, Mom." I said bitterly.

"Alice, you know this already. We've been through it so many times." She replied wearily.

"I just can't believe he cared so much that he went and killed himself." I muttered.

"He did not kill himself!" She yelled.

"He left a suicide note!" I yelled back.

"It's called a will!"

"No Mom! A will, is a letter where you tell the world who you want your stuff to go to!"

"Isn't that where you got your father's car from! From the "suicide note"?" She said sarcastically. making little air quotes with her fingers.

"Whatever." I mumbled and slipped into my car.

"Don't whatever me!" She yelled indignantly.

"Just answer this one question:" I said in a flat, lifeless voice and tears in my eyes. "If he loved us so much, why did he leave us in the first place?" And with that, I zoomed off, leaving my mother with a look I knew all too well. My tears spilled as I saw my mother cry in the rearview mirror.

I parked outside Starbucks near the edge of the forest. I stared at the forest unseeingly, wishing my father had not left when I was five years old, wishing there had not been a war. My father left us when I was 10. I never knew why. A year later, he went to the army and fought in Iraq. On my 15th birthday, we got a call. He was dead. The next day I got a letter from him addressed to me. I prayed it would be good news, telling me he wasn't dead. It wasn't.

It was titled: To Daddy's Little Girl

It was the only part of the letter that I actually read. I never had the guts to read the whole thing. From what my mother told me, it was just a bunch of apologies with a lot of sentimental crap.

When I composed myself enough, I went inside and ordered a peppermint mocha frappuchino. I left quickly, speeding my way through town until I got to the school. I had tears in my eyes again but I blinked them away and forced a smile on my face. I promised myself that today I would make it through the day without another tear. One day without crying shouldn't be that hard, but it was. One day without the fake smile or the fake laugh. I just wanted to make it through one day where I could honestly say I felt happy. The reason I joined Drama Club and Theatre Arts class was to be able to hide my hurt better, because it's easier to smile than to explain why you're sad. So that I could smile and laugh and act happy so that others could be happy too. I did it because I wanted to make it through one day with a genuine smile. It shouldn't be so hard, but it was.

When people ask what's wrong, I say nothing while thinking everything. Because I'm the type of girl who can be so hurt, but still look at you and smile; the type of girl who is willing to brighten your day, even if I can't brighten my own.

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><p><strong>AN: hmm, any of you guys ever feel like this? i know i do...**** i'll update as soon as i get 10 reviews (x *hint, hint***

**you know you wanna click that button xP**

**:Dee**


	7. Why Me?

**A/N: A wonderful review from shortevilpixie motivated me to finish and upload this chapter faster. thanks & enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not in any way own any characters you might recognize.**

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><p><strong><strong><strong>Song: High School Never Ends by Bowling For Soup<strong>****

************_Sometimes things happen for a reason.  
><em>_Sometimes you don't find the reason.  
><em>_Sometimes there is a reason for that too._

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><p><strong>Bella:<strong>

I eventually made it to school after the massive beating Jacob gave me. I had arrived late by half an hour, so they gave me detention. I didn't mind. I was almost always in detention. Completely absorbed in my thoughts I wasn't watching where I was going, so I accidentally bumped into none other than president of the drama club and fashion freak, _Alice Brandon,_ and spilled my chili cheese fries on her. This triggered a strange domino effect.

Her ear-piercing shriek caused me to jump and spill more food only this time the food fell on the person sitting at the nearest table. That person happened to be the head cheerleader, _Rosalie Hale_! She got up and shrieked equally loud. She shoved my chest hard, awakening the angry bruises. I fell hard on my ass and scrambled to get back up, but she pushed me down again. She was going to slap me across the face but I dodged her hand. She lost balance and I took the opportunity to get back up and punch the left side of her face. She shrieked and shoved me against the wall. She yanked my hair and I clawed desperately at her face while my bruises throbbed angrily. Just as she was about to strike my face with her fist, a white hand shot out and separated Rosalie from me. She clawed at the infamous stoner, _Jasper Whitlock_, but he was able to restrain her quite well. He shoved her into some chairs and she fell on the floor. He stood in front of me, protecting me. Everything seemed to have calmed down so he turned to me, but just then Alice jumped on his back and yanked his hair angrily. He backed up into a wall hard and made her fall off. As her limp body fell to the floor, _Edward Cullen_, the guy every girl wanted (the huge player), popped out and delivered a blow to his beautiful face. Jasper stumbled a little and punched Edward's stomach. By now, Rosalie had regained herself and ran at me again. She was stopped by the football team's quarterback, _Emmett McCarty_ who now stood in front of me. He and Rosalie seemed to be having some kind of staring contest and I half expected them to just start making out. Alice got back up and attacked me by jumping on my back. She punched her little fists and pulled my hair. She put all her weight and effort into making me fall to the floor again. By now, all my bruises and scratches were throbbing painfully.

I was barely even conscious as a loud whistle broke through the atmosphere. _Yes!_ I thought. _Finally someone came to break up the fight!_ I regretted that thought almost immediately.

"What is going on here!" the disciplinarian/vice principal asked no one in particular.

"A fight," Emmett said in a "duh" sort of tone.

"No shit, Sherlock" Edward mumbled.

"Leave him alone!" I yelled.

"Shut up bitch!" Rosalie exclaimed.

"You shut up, whore!" Jasper shouted at her.

"Don't talk about her that way!" Alice screamed.

"Silence! All of you, to the headmaster's office! Now!" The idiot yelled. He talked in an unnecessarily fancy tone with a hint of a British accent.

We all followed silently, each of us with a teacher that kept our hands behind our backs. Alice was the only one that got to skip her way to the office because apparently she didn't impose as big of a threat as the rest of us. We were all lost in thought as we entered the main office. _This is all my fault! I'm in deep shit now._

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><p><strong>Alice:<strong>

I am a huge threat! I'm very strong! Just because I'm small doesn't mean I'm not vicious! If I wanted to, I could very well go all ninja on them and karate chop their asses! Ugh, this stain will take forever to clean off. Good thing I always keep an extra change of clothes in my car, and I can go shopping after school. Hmm, I saw some very cute Gucci boots at…

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><p><strong>Rosalie:<strong>

This was all Swan's fault! If she hadn't dumped her disgusting food on me, we would not be in this mess! I hate her! She is soooo dead!

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><p><strong>Jasper:<strong>

I don't know why I got involved. I couldn't stand there and let the idiot girls hurt Bella. Long ago, when I had moved here, there had been a time when we had been great friends. She knew about Heidi and Peter. In fact, she knew almost everything about me. She had been there for me when I had no friends. She had been a true friend. I couldn't stand seeing them hurt my Bella.

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><p><strong>Edward:<strong>

It was Whitlock! He just had to go and intrude on a brilliant cat fight!

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><p><strong>Emmett:<strong>

Why me? Honestly… I don't know why I got in trouble. I was just sort of there. I was passing by and I happen to see the gorgeous blonde coming straight at me. So I figured, hey, she wants to see my muscles. Because, you know, that's what everyone does. Then she stared at me. And I stared back… Next thing I know, we were all taken to the office. Such a strange day…

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><p><strong>Bella:<strong>

The teachers left us inside the principal's office. There was a large desk behind which sat Principal Franklin. He looked at me and shook his head. It was a weird thing to do since I didn't even know him. I was rarely in here. I looked behind me and noticed Emmett was standing there with a goofy smile on his face.

"Hey Ted!" he chuckled.

The principal sighed and shook his head. I got the impression that Emmett was constantly in here.

"Take a seat." He said. There were two chairs directly in front of the principal's desk and one chair in the back, against the wall. Rosalie and Alice took the two in the front, Emmett sat on the floor with his silly grin still in place, and Jasper and I leaned against the wall while Edward sat in the back.

"So," Mr. Franklin said. "You've all gotten into a fight. Why?"

Immediately the room burst into a loud chaos of screams. I shrank against the wall as Rosalie and Alice yelled at me saying it was all my fault, a truth I already knew. Jasper and Edward shouted at each other. And Emmett? Well, he was shouting… at no one in particular.

"Enough! Shut up already! You obviously all have different ideas as to what happened and whose fault it was. I don't know what punishment you'll have, but I assure you it will be a harsh one! I will call your parents and you will all have detention afterschool while I talk to them. Go to class now." As if on cue, the bell rang, signaling that we had five minutes to get to fifth period. I dashed out of the room, desperate to put some distance between myself and Rosalie. I turned my face around to see Jasper, standing in the hallway, looking torn between going to his class behind him, and going after me. He gave me a half smile and a small wave. This just confused me more.

As I walked to class I thought about the events that had just occurred. Jasper had defended me. Why? He had stopped talking to me a long time ago. I had been there for him when he needed a friend. Could this be his way of thanking me? I didn't know; I didn't care. I just didn't want it to stop. There was something so calming and reassuring about his presence. It made me feel safe. I wanted to be his friend again.

When I made it to Biology, I took my seat in the back of the class where I sat alone. Edward Cullen waltzed in like nothing happened at lunch and took his seat in front of me where he sat with Tanya Denali. I despised that evil girl. She was a slut and a whore and lot of other things! As Edward took his seat, people bombarded him with questions. What happened? Who did it? Why did you step in? His little crowd gossiped animatedly while I drew on my hand.

"It was that Swan girl, huh Edward?" I heard Jessica whisper loudly.

"Yeah, she spilled food on Rosalie, right?" I heard Tanya say. "It was all her fault."

"No it wasn't! Alice wasn't watching where she was going either." Edward defended.

What just happened? Edward had never paid any attention to me. In fact, I had never really liked him and I got the impression that he didn't like me either. Why was he sticking up for me now?

"In my opinion, it was Whitlock's fault." He continued.

That irritated me. Jasper had been nice to me and now this guy thinks he can just insult him. I was about to say something when the teacher decided to barge in and interrupt everyone's conversations. I was in a different world as he started the class. I pretended to take notes throughout the entire class, but I was completely lost in thought. I was startled as the bell rang. I jumped and started packing away my things. I noticed Edward linger by his desk and turn around like he wanted to say something to me. Instead he turned around and dashed through the door.

By the end of my last class, I had almost completely forgotten about detention. Almost.

I sighed as I walked solemnly to the classroom where we would be assigned to different stations. Here at Forks High, we didn't enjoy the luxury of the standard detention that lucky kids had at normal schools. Instead of sitting in a classroom for an hour doing nothing, we had to do chores because apparently the janitor didn't do a well enough job. Rosalie and Alice were already there. I signed in and went to sit in the back, Rosalie glaring at me the whole time. Alice was in a corner of the room and seemed too preoccupied with a magazine to notice me. Emmett came next, carrying a big, heavy looking text book. He took a seat next to me and said, "Hey Bella" as if we were old friends, or friends at all.

"Um, hi." I mumbled. We had been in detention a few times together, but he had never actually spoken to me.

"Wanna be cleaning buddies?" he asked.

"Sure. What class is that for?" I asked, pointing at the text book.

"Oh this?" he asked, holding it up in one hand. "It's just to look smart. I got it from a friend."

"It's a geometry support book." I said, studying the cover. "We took geometry in ninth grade and this was for the stupid people."

"Oh." He said and dumped the book in the seat next to him.

Just then, Jasper and Edward walked in. They came from opposite sides and seemed to stand as far apart as the small room would allow. After signing in, Jasper went to the back and sat alone in a corner. Edward hesitated a little but then took a seat next to Rosalie. A few more kids came in, and shortly after, Mr. Varner came in. He gave the normal little speech about how we should all be ashamed with our behavior and that we would be assigned to clean up different parts of the school. Then he went down the list of names and gave us our designated cleaning area.

"Brandon… Cafeteria" He said. Alice made a face but went silently.

"Hale… Bathrooms" he continued. "McCarty…"

"What! Bathrooms! You have to be kidding me!" Rosalie shrieked.

"It is what it is. Go." He pointed at the door. She stomped her way out while mumbling "Why me?"

"McCarty… Gym"

Emmett whooped, fist pumped the air, and then ran outside.

Mr. Varner shook his head and mumbled something but then continued.

"Whitlock… Nurse's office." Jasper stood and left the room swiftly.

"Swan… Auditorium." I got up and left, too quickly to hear where Edward got sent.

As I entered the auditorium with a broom and a dustpan in my hands, the room echoed. It was really quiet and every tiny sound became magnified. I was pretty sure I would be able to hear a pin drop. I put in my earphones, turned my iPod on, and set it on shuffle. The song High School Never Ends by Bowling for Soup came on. I chuckled because I had forgotten I had this song. Back in the day, it used to be one of my favorites. Now I listened to heavier stuff but I bet I still knew the lyrics. As I sang along quietly, thoughts ran through my head.

_Four Years you think for sure  
>That's all you've got to endure<em>

I hoped it would be, but I knew it wouldn't.

_All the total dicks_

Edward

_All the stuck-up chicks_

Rosalie

_So superficial_

Alice

_so immature_

Emmett

_Then when you graduate,  
>Ya take a look around and you say "Hey Wait!"<br>This is the same as where I just came from,  
>I thought it was over, Aw that's just great.<em>

I shudder to think it will be that way…

_The whole damn world is just as obsessed  
>With who's the best dressed<em>

Alice

_and who's having sex_

cough, cough EDWARD!

_Who's got the money._

Edward again.

_Who gets the honeys_

Edward, yet again.

_Who's kinda cute and who's just a mess_

Most people around here think Jasper's a mess because of the drugs he uses, but, honestly, he is kinda cute…

_And you still don't have the right look_

Because apparently black is not in.

_And you don't have the right friends_

I didn't really have a group of friends since Jake didn't really allow me to, but before, I only hung around with my closer friends like Angela and Annabelle and Andy.

_Nothing changes but the faces, the names, and the trends_

I grimaced.

_High School Never Ends_

It certainly seemed that way. I started singing the next part loudly; I danced and jumped a bit too.

_Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh  
>HEY!<br>Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh  
>HEY!<br>_  
>I didn't get a chance to finish the song because at that moment a loud laugh brought me back to the present. I turned around to find Edward with a huge smirk plastered on his beautifully arrogant face. I think I died of embarrassment.<p>

Why me?

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><p><strong>It's the longest chapter yet! Hope you liked it! Review!<strong>

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	8. Consequences

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to all the wonderful people who are taking a couple minutes out of their busy lives to review! Seriously people, it doesn't take that long to do it!**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not in any way own any characters you might recognize.**

**Song: Consequences- Iced Earth **(it's a nice song with great lyrics that aren't_ completely_ relevant but it's what i was hearing while writing :P)

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><p><em>Half of life is fucking up - the other half is dealing with it.<em>

Edward:

Bella's face was priceless! I doubled over laughing as she blushed furiously, turning tomato red. She glared at me with kitten-like viciousness. I laughed again. I felt like I was going to die of laughter. She continued glaring and I realized I had to compose myself if I wanted to live to embarrass her again. I turned around and covered my mouth with my hand, trying to muffle the laughter that kept rolling out. It took a few minutes but eventually I was able to turn around and look at her. She had her back to me and was sweeping the floor.

"Hey, I'm sorry." I said in the most sincere voice I could muster.

"Whatever" she mumbled without looking at me.

"No, seriously, I am." I told her with more seriousness in my voice.

"Just grab a broom and start cleaning." She responded in an annoyed tone.

"Fine" I muttered, letting my annoyance color my tone too.

We cleaned up the auditorium in silence after that. She had in both earphones with the music really loud; she didn't sing anymore. An hour later, Mr. Varner came in and told us to go to the principal's office. She finally turned off her iPod and nearly ran out of the room. I walked slowly to the office, dreading what my gut was telling me to avoid. I knew the consequences were going to be terrible.

Yet, I couldn't bring myself to regret my actions. I had enjoyed every second of punching Whitlock's pretty face. He just made me so angry! I couldn't even understand why. I had never paid any attention to him before today. I didn't have him for any classes or really know anything about him, other than the fact that he was the town's drug dealer. But that was common knowledge. Even the teachers knew, but I guess they didn't care.

When I got to the principal's office, I opened the door and stepped inside. Chief Swan was the first one I saw. He was seated in the back with a tired look on his face. Bella was leaning against the wall, not far from him. Rosalie was in a chair next to a woman who looked like her, but not as young or attractive. She had dark circles under her eyes, wrinkles, and a thin, frail looking body. She looked sick. Next I saw, a huge, buff, and intimidating man. That had to be Emmett's dad! Sure enough, Emmett was sitting on the floor, next to his feet with the same goofy smile he had earlier. Alice was sitting next to a rich, important looking woman. The woman looked not a day over twenty. They could have been twins except that unlike Alice, the woman did not look anorexic and she actually had curves. Jasper was in the back, leaning against the wall next to Bella, with another guy his age who looked just as much as an addict as he did. I really hated Whitlock!

"Well, now that everyone has arrived, let's get down to business." The principal announced. "As you all of you already know, today's fight in the cafeteria was completely unacceptable. Your parents had to be called in from work to for a little meeting to discuss your punishment. We have reached a fair settlement. You will all have detention after school for two weeks along with a group therapy session every Saturday until you resolve your problems with each other."

Therapy session? I didn't need a therapy session. I was perfectly sane, thank you very much.

"Keep in mind, your punishment might be extended according to your behavior." He continued. "That will be all. Parents, if you wouldn't mind staying a while longer, there's some paperwork to be signed."

"Go on home honey. I think we'll be stuck here for a while." Esme said.

"Okay. Bye Mom." I replied.

I walked out to the almost empty parking lot enjoying the light, cool breeze that hit my face when I opened the office door. As I walked to my car, I spotted Bella. She was just a few parking spaces away from my car. I suddenly got a crazy idea.

"Hello Bella." I said when I approached. She was getting something from the backseat and had her back to me.

"What do you want, Cullen?" She answered, without turning around to look at me and venom in her voice. I didn't like the way she had said my name. I ignored it and continued with my plan.

"What are you doing tonight?" I asked.

She froze; I felt victorious. She turned around slowly and stared at me like I had lost it. It wasn't the first time somebody had looked at me that way, but it stung because I was trying to ask her out.

"Anything without you," she said, turning around again and bending over the front seat to reach the backseat, giving me a nice view of her butt. The rejection hurt, but her ass kept me motivated.

"Don't be like that" I told her butt. She whipped around, catching me staring down there.

"No, _you _don't be like that." She snapped.

"Look," I told her, putting a hand on the car, near her head. "It's obvious you want me. Don't try to play hard to get. That's only wasting both of our time." I placed my other hand on the car, near her waist, trapping her between my arms.

"I'm doing this for you." I said, flashing her a dazzling smile, and leaning in to kiss her.

I was not expecting to get slapped.

"What the hell! I don't like you! At all! I don't see why you can't get that into your damn head! There's obviously lots of space in there!" She pushed me away and got into her car.

She drove off, leaving me standing there with my mouth hanging open like the idiot I am. Then, I heard light laughter coming from behind me. I composed myself and turned around to find Whitlock with a smug smile on his face. Seriously? Was he _trying_ to give me more reasons to hate him? Because he was certainly succeeding. I wanted to wipe away that stupid smirk with my fist so badly. Lucky for him, his potheaded brother was there, and Esme was approaching.

"Hey, Jasper. Hi Peter." Esme said. This completely shocked me. How did she know them!

"Hello Mrs. Cullen." Jasper replied politely. The other guy, Peter, just smiled and nodded.

"Jasper, call me Esme. 'Mrs. Cullen' makes me feel old." She chuckled.

Jasper just smiled and said, "Okay, Esme. Um, we better get going. Nice seeing you again."

"Likewise," Esme replied. I waited until they had walked away and were out of earshot to turn towards her.

"How do you know them?" I asked, unable to hold in my curiosity.

"Peter used to be at the rehab center." She replied. Oh, that's right! Esme used to work there! She was a psychologist/therapist before she decided that what she really wanted to do was home interior designing.

"Shall we go home?" she asked.

"Uh… Yeah. Yeah, let's go home." I said, walking towards my car while Esme walked towards hers.

As I drove home, I thought about Bella. She was odd. I couldn't decide if that was good or bad. She was a complete mystery to me, one that I wanted to solve more than anything else. She had been the only girl to ever reject me. I could very easily have any girl I wanted, except Bella. I wanted her so badly, but she didn't want me. I wasn't going to take no for an answer. I was going to get her, no matter what it took. I was going to solve that puzzle.

I was going to get her into bed.

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><p><strong>AN: I know, I know. This chapter is kind of short, and it took me a long time to get it up. It was mainly just a filler. Sorry about that. If you want longer, faster chapters, all you have to do is review. :P it's not that hard! Just click that little blue button down there that says "Review" and write what you thought about the chapter :P**

**p.s. Edward was a douche in this chapter. Don't worry, it's all part of the master plan!**

**:Dee**


	9. Group Therapy

**A/N: I am so very sorry, my dear readers. The world has been mean to me. Lots have happened, including a bottle of pills, a pair of bloody wrists, an elaborate plan to flee home, a somewhat comical suicide note, and a failure. A big, life-changing, problem-causing, annoyingly regretful failure. But as terrible as my current state might be, I decided to drag myself to the computer and write out the chapter I have been keeping from you all for so long.**

**But enough about depressing old me. On with the much neglected story.**

**P.S: I'm sorry if I sound strange. I tend to use big words and speak more formally when feeling down... I'm not quite sure why.**

**P.P.S: I apologize if my writing has been to dramatically altered for your taste. I have changed since my last chapter, and I'm afraid my writing has changed along with me. Hopefully, it is for the best and you do not completely hate it.**

**P.P.P.S: I meant to upload this last year, but since the file is in a computer no longer accessible to me, I had to re-write it from scratch.**

**Song: From Yesterday by 30 Seconds to Mars (sorry if it doesn't make sense. i was hearing it.)**

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><p>i have no quote for this chapter. sorry.<p>

Chapter 9- Group Therapy

Bella:

It was the first group therapy session. Exactly 8 days after the huge fight. So far, it was a disaster, just as I predicted. But nooo! Nobody listens to Swan!

The room was simple. There were two couches were set up, facing each other, and two comfortable looking chairs on either side. Edward and Rosalie sat on couch while I sat alone on the one opposite them. Emmett sat on the chair facingAlice. Jasper was not present. There was a small coffee table in the middle of the room. In one corner, the psychiatrist was sitting cross-legged, scribbling notes as she let us "talk our differences out". Did I mention she was Edward's mom?

"No you little bitch! It was your fault! Don't blame me for something you did!" Rosalie shrieked at me.

"It was your damn fault! You just had to take your prostitute ass and start drama!" I yelled back.

Rosalie looked ready to murder someone.

"Who the fuck do you think you are to call me that!"

"I'm Isabella Swan, but there's no point in trying to deny it. Everyone's seen you working the corners inPort Angeles." I sneered.

I knew it was a low blow, but I didn't care. It was true. And she was getting on my nerves.

"You little emo-"

"Look whore, I-" I couldn't finish the sentence because Rosalie jumped out of her seat and pounced on me, pinning me on the couch across from hers. Her hands snaked around my throat in a death grip, awakening the old bruises. I closed my eyes and let out a strangled cry as her long red nails dug into my skin.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I had arms and legs to get her off of me, but this feeling was too familiar. It reminded me so much of how Jacob did this. So many times had he come very close to killing me this exact way. There was one difference. He usually stopped right about… now. But Rosalie kept going.

I needed air! A crushing wave of lethargy overcame me. I thought about fighting it, but then a thought occurred to me. Maybe this time I would finally die! Maybe I would finally be freed from this terrible world. So instead of fighting back, I laid limply, welcoming death with open arms. It was actually very easy. Apart from the now dull pain, I couldn't feel much. I could hear screams and some muted thuds, but it didn't matter. I waited patiently for death. My last thought before I drifted into sweet unconsciousness was about the strange sensation of someone kissing me.

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><p><strong>AN: i'm a terrible terrible person. iKnow. i probably made half of you guy's hit list. it's super short and such a cliffy.. i just had to upload something-anything. i feel better though. not so depressed anymore… i'm working on the next chapter as you read this. hopefully, i'll have it up by Saturday… maybe Sunday…**

**p.s. Bella will not die. not yet. what kind of story would that be? :D**

**p.p.s. *****[[THE 50th REVIEWER GETS A PRIZE!]]***** :D so leave me a review talking about how much you hate my guts :p or about how much you love the story c:**

**:Dee**


	10. Taking Sides

**A/N: So the winner of the 50th Reviewer contest thingy was xXxhurting-insidexXx . i'm writing a one-shot for her. dunno when it will be done but look forward to that :D hmm... there was something else iWas meaning to tell you guys but iForgot... so... Enjoy! :D**

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><p>I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut<br>My weakness is that I care too much  
>And my scars remind me that the past is real<br>I tear my heart open just to feel

Song: Scars by Papa Roach :D

Bella:

I woke up in a white room. As I took in my surroundings, I noticed I was wearing a hospital gown. My arm was hooked to an IV and I couldn't move my neck. Stretching an arm up to feel my neck, I realized I was wearing a neck brace too. Where was I? Was this heaven? No. That's not possible. My parents were religious, but I didn't believe in that afterlife stuff. I believed when you died, you died. End of story. Besides, the last time I went to church, I was just a kid.

The door opened, and in walked an angel. He was tall, pale and blond. With his white doctor's coat and clipboard, he looked like…

"Hello Bella," he smiled.

I just smiled back because I wasn't supposed to talk. I had been through this a few time before. I knew the drill.

"So Bella… you got strangled again?" He asked in a casual tone, checking his clipboard. He wasn't able to completely mask his concern because I saw a small grimace when he turned around.

I didn't say anything.

"Rosalie Hale this time…" He said, shaking his head. "What did you do to her?"

I stared at my hands.

"Bella… I care about you like a daughter. It worries me when you come in with bruises and concussions and broken bones. But it just angers me when you get strangled!"

I was not expecting that.

"I know how clumsy you are-"

Sigh.

"-so the breaks and bruises are believable. But when you get strangled… that's no accident, Bella. I know it was Rosalie this time but who was it the other times? It's the third time. The third time, Bella! This can't continue much longer! Who is doing this to you?"

I just stared at him sadly, wishing I could tell him. But it wasn't just my throat preventing me from doing so. How could I tell him that Jacob Black abused me almost everyday? How could I tell him that Jacob strangled me for tripping and spilling soda on his shirt or for failing to tell him I was going to the mall? How could I tell him that I cut myself because of the pain Jacob caused me, physically and mentally? How could I tell him that I wished for death every hour of the day? How could I tell Carlisle that at the age of 17, I had nothing left to live for?

"Bella… you can tell me. I care about you. I know how domestic violence works, and I know how it affects the victim far beyond just physical wounds. I know about this." he said, taking one of my arms in his hands. He traced the familiar bright pink scars with his fingers. "I know whoever does this to you is making your life miserable- enough to drive you to self-harming through cutting. Please Bella, tell me. Who is doing this to you?"

I stared into Carlisle's eyes with teary eyes. The sadness I tried to shut out was overwhelming me. I wanted so very badly to tell him! I wanted it more than anything else! More than death itself!

But just as I opened my mouth, I heard the voice that haunted my nightmares and ruined my days.

"Yes, Bella. Who does this to you?" Jacob taunted, leaning against the doorframe, his eyes glistening with malice.

I forced the tears back into my eyes and made myself look at Jacob. I plastered a smile of pure joy that I did not feel onto my face.

"Jake," I whispered hoarsely, wincing at the pain it caused my throat.

He smiled widely at this and moved toward me, stopping at my bedside. He reached out a hand and cupped my face while I remained a statue. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"She's fine." Carlisle answered curtly with an unfriendly gaze.

"Good. When can she leave?" Jacob asked, oblivious to Carlisle's cold demeanor.

"In a week."

There was a moment of awkward silence before Jacob said, "Well, Bella, I have to leave in the morning. Remember? I have that Quileute guy retreat thing. Boring stuff. I'll be in New Mexico for about two weeks. I have to go finish packing. Be good." He smiled, placed a quick kiss on my cheek, and whispered, "Or else." Then with a poke to my throat to make me flinch, he left the room as quickly as he came.

Carlisle pried for information on my attacker, but I wasn't spilling anything. When the ache in my neck became unbearable, I asked for painkillers, and he complied. I fell asleep instantly, exhausted from everything. I half woke up during the night and found a Greek god sleeping awkwardly in a chair in the corner of the room. But before I had time to process it, I went under once again. When I woke up in the morning, the first thing I saw was a pair of sea blue eyes.

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><p><strong>(iWas going to stop here but i decided to write a bit more to sort of make up for the shortness of the last chapter. hope it's to your liking :D)<strong>

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><p>Alice:<p>

During the attack, I was too shocked to do anything. I didn't think Bella would end up in the hospital. I swear, if I knew Rosalie was that strong or that Bella was that weak, I would have done something.

But I didn't. And that's all that's important now…

I stood there and watched as Rosalie choked the life out of a helpless Bella. I feel terribly guilty now… How I wish I had done something to stop it. But hey, Bella was asking for it! In my opinion, they both had fault in it. I couldn't take sides. Until I talked to him.

They asked me to call Jasper Whitlock and tell him what happened to Bella. Everyone knew that at some point they had been very close. Rumor was, they had been together. As in, together-together. I had never noticed Jasper much, but there was something about him now… I can't quite explain it. It's not tangible. There's just a certain air about him…

Anyways, they asked me to call him and so I did. He wasn't sober; I knew that much. He kept flirting with me on the phone until I told him what happened to Swan. He became instantly serious, very angry, and a little panicked. I didn't like how Bella affected him. Sure she was in a hospital because Rosalie almost killed her, but he had been flirting with me! Me! One second he was all fun-and-games, and the next he's declaring World War III on Rosalie!

That was when I knew Swan was a threat. I know whose side I'm on now.

I decided to go the hospital. After seeing Bella was alive, I called Jasper to reassure him. He didn't answer though, so I left to police department to visit Rosalie. They had her locked in a medium sized cell. I knew it was killing her not to have a mirror in there. I totally understood that, it would hurt me so much too. They let me talk to her for a while. She was a mess, the poor thing. She didn't want to go to prison, and I understood her fear. I would never, ever in a thousand years go to prison! I would kill myself before I let that happen! It just seems like the worst thing that could ever happen to anyone! The ugly orange jumpsuits combined with the fact that nobody has make-up or a recent copy of People magazine makes me shudder! The horror…

So after talking to Rosalie for a while, I started to sympathize for her. It turns out, there were lots no one knew about her. She was the only child to a drug-addicted mother. Besides waitressing at the diner, she did indeed work as a prostitute sometimes, but she did it for her mother. She tried not to do it so much and she always used protection. We shared a mutual dislike towards Swan and a like towards fashion. We could be great friends if she weren't about to be tried for attempted murder. I realized there was a way I could help.

My mother had lots of influences around here, and Rose and Edward seemed to have an unspoken alliance. I'm sure that with Mother's connections, Rose's unfortunate but helpful slutiness, and Edward's money, we could pull Rose out of this dilemma.

And once she's out, we can crush Swan together.

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><p><strong>AN: review! :D also, check out the comedy one-shot 51 Things Jane Can't Do! it's been there for a while but it has only a few reviews :|**

**:Dee**


	11. Domo Memories

**A/N: it's been too long. ugh. i know. i'm terrible at updating. you have every right to hate me. i just want to give a quick shout out to Cullen . this chapter's for you! for sticking with the story and making me write. thanks!**

**another thanks to mzhollywood100 . i'll try to pick it up :D**

**and another thanks to Randon Trbetr . your reviews are so random & funny! they totally make my day! :D**

**i reply to all reviews, except anonymous ones because, well, i have no where to reply to :p**

**so to all the awesome anonymous reviewers: thank you so much! i really appreciate all the support :)**

**:Dee**

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><p><strong><strong>Disclaimer: I do not in any way own any characters you might recognize.<strong>**

****Song: Break Your Little Heart by All Time Low****

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><p>I'm gonna break your little heart<br>Watch you take the fall  
>Laughing all the way to the hospital<br>'Cause there's nothing surgery can do  
>When I break your little heart in two<br>I'm gonna break your little heart in two

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><p>Two quotes this time :D<p>

_-I'm sick of getting my hopes up for nothing._

_-Will you ever look at me the way I look at you?_

**Bella:**

When I woke up in the morning, the first thing I saw was a pair of sea blue eyes.

"Hi Bells," he said, smiling like the old days.

"Jasper," I whispered. My throat still hurt a lot, but it was healing quickly.

"I brought you something," he replied, smiling mischievously and holding up a small bag.

"You didn't have to buy me anything" I told him, but took the bag.

"It's nothing big. And I sort of did have to get you something."

"Why?" I asked curiously, forgetting about the bag.

After a few seconds he said, "Because I wasn't there for you. If I would have gone to the stupid therapy session, I would have been able to protect you. Hale would have never done this to you. You wouldn't be in the hospital."

"It doesn't matter Jas-"

"Yes it does! You could have died! It's my fault!" Jasper yelled.

"Young man, this is a hospital." A blonde nurse scolded.

"I'm so sorry," he said quietly. It wasn't aimed at the nurse.

"It's okay Jazz. It could have happened to anyone."

"No, this only happens to you," he smirked. "Open your present."

I did.

I felt excitement bubbling in me as I opened the bag and threw the soft, crinkly paper aside. Inside was a little Domo plush doll.

"Jasper!" I whisper-yelled with a huge smile. I probably looked like a kid on Christmas morning. I certainly felt that way. For the first time in weeks, no months, I felt happy. It's amazing how this small gift could make me feel. But it was the thought behind it that really made my day.

Back when Jasper and I were best friends, we went to a carnival once. There were lots of rides, and we got on nearly all of them by the end of the night. There was one game that really stood out to me. A clown-dunking booth. I wanted so badly to play because the jackpot prize was a huge life-sized Domo, and in those days, I was really obsessed with Domo. So I ran to the booth, dragging Jasper along, and paid for a turn to dunk the clown. But it was too late. The clown had left a few minutes earlier, and the guy was getting ready to pack up. I practically begged the guy, but he said that without a clown, he couldn't let me play. So I turned to Jasper with a big goofy smile and large puppy eyes. He whined a lot, but after telling him that I would be his bestest buddy, he crumbled and got into the tank. I threw the ball at the target so many times, but I could never make it. In the end, I managed to dunk him once, but it wasn't enough for the giant Domo. I guess the guy felt some sympathy towards me because he let me have a medium-sized, pink monkey. When Jasper saw my disappointment, he went up to the guy and offered to buy the doll. He never told me how much it cost, but I had a feeling it hadn't been cheap. The doll had later been destroyed on one of our ninja missions.

Staring at the little plush doll in my hands now with tears threatening to spill over the brim of my eyes, I remembered the day fondly. I looked up at Jasper, who had been watching me the whole time. He smiled as the tears fell into my lap. I smiled back and leaned my cheek into his hand as he wiped them away with his thumb.

"I want you to know, that I'll always be here for you. I'm really sorry I wasn't before, but from now on, I will. Always."

I wasn't sure if I could believe him or not. I'd heard those words before. Those damn empty promises. But when he stretched out his pinky, I knew.

"I pinky promise," he smiled.

I smiled, genuinely, as I held out my pinky and looped it around his. Pinky promises were not to be taken lightly among us. They were of more value than swearing over a loved one's grave. Plus, it was also sort of a long-standing inside joke between us. He leaned forward and rested his forehead against mine. He stretched our hands out and entwined our fingers. "Always," I whispered.

We stayed that way a few precious moments before someone in the doorway cleared their throat.

"Am I interrupting?" he asked.

"Yes, Cullen. You are," Jasper said, leaning away.

He walked in anyway, strutting like his usual proud and arrogant self. It wasn't until he was next to me that I noticed the bouquet of flowers he was carrying in one hand.

"These are for you Bella," he said, handing me the flowers with a crooked smile.

"Um… thank you?" I answered.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Better," I responded.

"Good," he said, taking a seat in an empty chair near my bed.

After a few moments of tense and awkward silence, Jasper said, "Don't you have a girl to screw?"

"Don't you have a joint to smoke?" he retorted.

"What do you want Cullen?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" he inquired.

"Why are you here?" I rephrased.

Jasper smirked, but it was quickly erased when Edward said, "That's a nice way to thank the guy who saved your life."

"What?" I asked, not sure I had heard him right.

"I gave you CPR." He responded.

"Oh…" I didn't know what to say. His lips had been on mine… Even if it was strictly for medical reasons. I didn't know why this simple truth made me nervous. I meant to say something like "thank you for saving my life", but instead I said, "I didn't know you knew how to perform CPR."

"My father's a doctor. What do you expect?" He asked with another crooked smile.

Once again, I asked something different from what I was thinking. "Your dad's a doctor?"

"Yup, your doctor," he said.

"Wait.. what? Carlisle? Your dad is Carlisle?" I could not believe it.

"Yeah," he chuckled. "You can't see the resemblance?"

"Well, it does explain a lot…" I mumbled.

"A lot about what?" he questioned.

"Nothing," I responded a little too quickly.

"It wasn't 'nothing'. You were going to say something. What does it explain?" he asked, a cocky smiles creeping onto his lips.

"It was nothing," I muttered stubbornly.

"Tell me," he commanded.

"She doesn't want to tell you. Leave her alone!" Jasper growled.

"Chill, Whitlock. Go pop a pill and calm down," Edward shot.

"Look, Cullen-" Jasper started.

"Do you need anything Bella?" he interrupted.

"Uh… my throat is a little dry. Can you get me some water?" I asked.

"Whitlock, get her some water," he told him.

"You go get it. You offered it, and I'm not your servant." He snapped.

"I've been here all night, unlike you. I didn't leave Bella to get high." He retaliated.

"I wasn't get-"

"You were here? All night?" I asked.

"Yes," he stated.

"Why?"

He hesitated a moment, then said in a teasing tone, "Well, just in case you needed first aid again, I wanted to be the one to kiss you back to life."

I blushed ten different shades of red.

Jasper was really on edge now. He kept clenching his fists and glaring at the wall. Just then, Alice skipped in.

"Hello Bella," she said. "I hope you're feeling better."

Did I imagine the hint of malice in her voice?

"Thanks," I replied.

"Edward, a word," she motioned for him to go outside.

Edward got up, and flashing me a final smile, he left the room. As soon as Edward was outside, Jasper started ranting, "I don't like him."

"He's nice." I said.

"He wants you to think he's nice." He shot.

"How do you know? Maybe he is the nice guy he seems to be." I snapped.

"Don't fall for it. It's a trap."

"Jasper. You're paranoid."

"Am I really? Is that guy not infamous for his many victories in bed?" He asked.

He had a point. Edward was known everywhere for his promiscuousness. The only person who could beat his record was probably Rosalie. But this Edward had saved my life. He had given me CPR and stayed with me the whole night. It was probably the nicest thing a guy had ever done for me. Sure Jasper had been my hero on several occasions, and I clearly remember me falling asleep in his arms several times, but he was only my best friend.

"That's true… But-"

"Bella, I'm just looking out for you. I don't want him to use you for sex."

"He won't." I promised, to Jasper and myself.

"How do you know?"

"Because I won't let him. I won't fall for his stupid charms."

"You can't guarantee that."

"Yes, I can. I'll stay away from him. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"I just don't want you to get hurt any more than you've already been."

"Jasper, no offense, but you're in no position to be talking about hurting me."

His eyes filled with pain as he remembered how messed up I had been without him. I attempted to lighten the mood, but I failed, as usual.

"Besides, it's my life. If I want to screw it up even more, let me be. In the end, it will be my fault. And no one said I even liked him."

"Please. You're going to tell me you feel nothing towards him? " He scoffed.

"I never said I did." I dodged.

"Do you like him?" He asked very seriously.

"I…" I started, but I wasn't able to finish because Charlie walked in.

Thank you Charles Swan!

"Isabella! Are you okay? How are you doing? " Charlie bombarded me with questions.

"I-"

"Has the doctor said anything? What's the diagnosis? When can you leave? Who's the doctor? I don't trust MacMillan," he ranted.

"Charlie-"

"Don't worry Hun, you'll get better. It'll be alright. Rosalie is in jail. Everything will be fine," he continued.

"Dad!" I interrupted.

He looked taken aback. It was the first time I had called him that in who knows how long.

"I'm fine." I said as calmly as I could manage.

Then he did something totally unexpected. He hugged me.

I have never felt so awkward before. And trust me, I have been in too many awkward situations. None compared to this one though. I hadn't noticed when Jasper left, but he was conspicuously absent. I spent the next fifteen minutes reassuring my wailing father that everything would be fine. He actually sobbed and told me how much I meant to him and how sorry he was. He told me how terrible it felt to pick up a phone and hear that his only baby had almost been killed. He guaranteed that Rosalie would pay dearly for it.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on there. You're pressing charges?" I asked.

"Of course," he replied a bit confused.

As much as I disliked Rosalie, I didn't want her to go to prison over me.

"Is something wrong?" Charlie asked.

Before I got to answer his question, a huge man came stumbling in with balloons, looking like a much bigger version of the teddy bear he was carrying.

Emmett.

"Hey Bells!" He grinned. "Hi Chief!"

"Hi Emmett," I smiled back. It was nearly impossible to not smile at him. Charlie just smiled and nodded.

"I bought you something," he said, handing me the balloons and the bear.

"Thanks Em!" I replied.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Better," I answered.

"Awesome!" He replied.

We chatted for a while. Emmett kept cracking jokes and I just laughed and smiled. Even Charlie seemed to enjoy himself. After a while, a nurse came in and asked them to leave so I could rest. They left, and soon after, Carlisle came in with my meds, followed by Edward and Alice. My heart fluttered like a stupid, love struck, little girl at the sight of him. He flashed me that amazing crooked grin and I had to remind myself of the promise I made to Jasper.

But it was so hard to resist him.

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><p><strong>AN: this was a kind of long chappie. leave a nice review? please?**

**p.s. i have a poll. who's POV do you like the most? go vote please!**

**:Dee**


	12. Don't Hate Me Too Much

**Hello my dear readers.**

**I hate to disappoint you, but I'm putting the story on hiatus.**

**This is the part where I get threatening hate-mail.**

**Before you press send, please hear me out. I'll make it quick.**

**I've been in a mental hospital. Seriously. It's not like in the movies though. It was actually nice. But anyway. I have a list of problems. They include:**

**-depression**

**-anxiety**

**-insomnia**

**-paranoia**

**-slight schizophrenia**

**-possible bipolarity**

**-addiction**

**-and I'm suicidal :D**

**So. I'm going through a pretty rough time… I missed two weeks of schools and exams are coming up. I need to catch up. I'm very sorry about putting the story on hiatus. It was not my first option. I just really need to focus on school. I'll try to write some good chapters to make up for it. And I promise that when I resume the story, the updates will come much quicker!**

**Please don't hate me too much,**

**:Dee**


	13. Just A Quick Update

**Just a quick update on what's going on with me… although you guys probably don't care and just want another chapter. They're coming! Don't worry!**

**Anyways. Ummmmmmmm…. Well… I was hospitalized two more times for failed suicide attempts. I've been on a ton of medication and stupid therapy but nothing is working. So I guess I'll just have to suck it up and plaster the very much used & abused fake smile on my face once again. Sadly, I got three D's that got my permit revoked and so I got kicked out of school. My parents are the same douche bags they always have been. Or maybe they somehow got douchey-er. Dunno…**

**Ummm…**

**I'm glad to say that I've written the next chapter even though I do have some writer's block…**

**I started writing a book but my brother shot it down and called it a Twilight rip off so I didn't go very far beyond the first chapter. If you guys want to read it, it will be on my fictionpress account. I go by the same pen name. **

**Anddd…. Yeah. That's pretty much it. Ummm… Check out some of my new stories. Like CheaterCheaterBestFriendEater , Danny's Favorite Cookies , The Capitol Games… I had some inspiration, but not enough… Ummmm… Yeah. Just, check out my other stories :D**

**I think I'll stop babbling now & post the next chapter. It's rather short. I tried. Sorry…**

**:Dee**


	14. Be Someone Else

**Disclaimer: I do not in any way own any characters you might recognize.**

**Enjoy! :D**

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><p><strong>Song: Hey, Hey by Superchick<strong>

_Some people you can never please  
>You might as well just let them be<br>__They mock everything not their own  
><em>_From their imaginary throne  
><em>_But I won't bow down,  
><em>_even if the whole world thinks I'm crazy..._

_Why try to be like someone else  
>When you can only be yourself?<br>No one can sing the song you do  
>Be true, be legendary you<br>So I won't sell out,  
>even if the whole world thinks I'm crazy...<em>

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><p><em>Why be fake when being real takes no effort?<em>

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><p><strong>Alice:<strong>

"We're going to get you out of this place, Rose. Just stay calm. Don't worry; everything will work out." I reassured a frightened Rosalie.

"I don't want to go to prison!" She whisper-yelled, as if just by saying it out loud it would happen.

"You won't," I said with force. "I promise. Just sit tight and I'll be right back."

She sat on her little cot as I went down the hallway to the small office where Edward and my mother were at. They were just finishing up some paperwork. I sat on a chair and stared off into space. Something about the wall was suddenly very appealing. I sat there, transfixed by a spot on the wall. Then I heard Edward's voice calling me and I snapped out of it. Without anyone saying anything, I knew. Rose was free.

"I paid for the bail and your mother just got off the phone with the mayor. He said he would see to it that Rosalie would be pardoned," he said.

"Awesome," I smiled.

A few minutes later, Rosalie was released form her holding cell. She came out smiling and greeted each of us with a hug.

"Well kids, I must get back to work. I'm just going to give Rosalie a ride home. I'll see you at home, dear." She said, leaning to kiss my forehead. I let her, considering all that she's done for Rose. Rosalie followed her after thanking us again.

As soon as they left, Edward turned to me and said, "The mayor is doing everything he can, but he can't guarantee anything. It's crucial for Bella to not press charges."

"You have to convince her. It should be fairly easy for you. You're the expert at persuasion," I said.

"How do I get her to do that?" He asked.

"Money," I answered simply.

"Something about her tells me it won't be that simple," he responded.

"Then try your default tactics. Charm her, lie to her, sleep with her and tell her you love her for all I care! Pretend she's just another one of your many victims, or as you guys like to call it, victories. Be someone completely different from whom you truly are. Be her knight in shining armor. Just make sure she does not throw Rosalie Hale into prison." I told him fiercely. I started to walk away when a strong hand gripped my arm.

"Not so fast, Brandon,"' he said.

I sighed. "What now, Cullen?"

"You have to help me too. I can't persuade her alone," He replied.

"So what do you want me to do?" I questioned.

"Become her friend. Whitlock's and McCarthy's too. Get behind enemy lines and convince Swan that I'm not a monster," he answered.

"But you are," I said with a smirk.

"Pretend I'm not. You're a pretty good actress. Deceiving others is your thing. Lie to her. 'Be someone completely different from whom you truly are.'" He quoted me.

"Fine," I huffed. Then, turning on my heel, I left.

I knew Bella was incredibly stubborn, but that wouldn't be a problem. I mean, who wouldn't want to be Alice Brandon's new best friend?

It was a position most people would _die_ for.

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><p><strong>I know it's short. Don't kill me.<strong>

**:Dee**


	15. Pumpkin Bluffs

**A/N: ****Hey everyone! I'm back! I know it's been forever since I updated, even after I said I would put an end to the hiatus. It's almost like I jinxed it. Anyway, this time I'm not going to stop until I finish the story. I have two more weeks of school, one week of finals, and then I can really work hard and update fast. Until school is over, I will be pushing myself to finish at least a chapter a week. I hope you all understand that I was going through major BS, and although it's no excuse, I couldn't handle too many things at once.**

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><p><strong>***IMPORTANT***<strong>

**In the case that this account is deleted, I will repost the story on a new one by the pen name CarolineLikesGrumpyCats.**

****It probably won't happen, but some idiot is reporting my songfics because I don't own the lyrics. I never said I did! In fact, I'm pretty sure I threw in a disclaimer!****

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><p><strong>I want to thank all the loyal readers who continue to read! I could never have done it without you- I'm serious! Thank you so much for your continuous love and support! If I could, I would totally send each and every one of you something in the mail. Probably cupcakes. But since I cannot, I will give you a virtual cupcake! ^.^ *offers virtual cupcakes*I love you guys!<strong>

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not in any way own any of the characters you might recognize.<strong>

**Quote/Lyrics For This Chapter: "We move just like the moon and sun." ~NeverShoutNever, I Love You More Than You Will Ever Know.**

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><p><strong>Bella's Point Of View:<strong>

The morning after my discharge from the hospital, I awoke to a startled Charlie shaking me.

"Bella, are you okay? You were having a nightmare."

It had been the same dream I'd been having for a couple days now. The one where I was stranded in a forest and something was chasing me. A familiar voice I couldn't quite place was ahead of me, and I felt compelled to follow it, despite the feeling in my gut that told me it was more dangerous than the thing following me. But it was always out of reach, no matter how hard I ran. I think someone was holding me back, but I never saw anyone beside me. In the end, there was always a flash of bright, white light before I opened my eyes. I couldn't make any sense of it.

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine," I muttered.

He mumbled something about burning food and leaved. I noticed the time and sprung out of bed.

_Crap! I only have twenty minutes to get to school!_

I pulled on some black skinny jeans and an Asking Alexandria T-Shirt. Luckily, my hair had already been kind of teased, courtesy of my pillow, so it only took me about ten minutes to finish it. I made a mental note to buy new hair dye to change the highlights that had faded to a dull turquoise and were quickly turning green. I did my makeup, which consisted mainly of eyeliner and mascara but also included pale foundation and a dark, reddish-purple lipstick. Then I grabbed my plain Chucks, my Monster Energy Drink hoodie, my backpack, and ran downstairs two at a time. I snatched a granola bar out of the box and slipped on my shoes without tying the laces. Pausing only to get my car keys, I stumbled to the door and locked it since Charlie was gone. Then I jumped into my car and sped to school.

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><p>So Principal Franklin called me out of class and saved me from a boring history lecture, just to give me an equally boring one with my six favorite Forks High students in the discomfort of his tiny office? <em>Wonderful.<em>

I sighed and leaned against the wall, having a strong sense of déjà vu. Principal Franklin sat behind his desk, Rosalie and Alice sat in the two chairs in front of him, Emmett was on the floor, Edward in the seat at the back, and Jasper and I leaned against the wall. He droned on and on about how serious the consequences for our misbehavior would be.

_Haven't we been here before?_

"Since you seem to be getting nowhere with your issues, more serious actions must be taken. I have talked to all your parents and everyone agrees that you need to spend more time together. Really get to know and understand each other. So until further notice, you are all to live together."

_Annnd, cue the chaos._

Everything went dead silent for about two seconds- and then the complete opposite.

"What the fuck!?" I yelled, standing upright.

Chaos erupted from every person in the tiny room. Rosalie and Alice got up from their chairs and slammed their hands down on Principal Franklin's desk, screaming furiously about unfair situations and legal rights. Poor Mr. Franklin held his hands up in a sign of peace, trying to restore order. Jasper shouted profanities at the government, and Edward ran both hands through his hair, yelling at everyone to shut up. But all their voices were drowned out by the shattering of glass caused by Emmett's throwing of a wooden chair out the window.

Everyone froze, watching a kid outside the office run and scream, "The end is near! They're coming after meeee!"

Principal Franklin sighed and yelled at Emmett, after which everyone was told to wait outside while the mess was cleaned up.

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><p><strong>(AN: That last bit was random. Sorry xD. I was going to end it there, but I ended up adding a little fluff to make up for some shortness.)**

**Jasper's POV:**

After school, we were all required to go straight to Alice's house. It was really strange, but none of us wanted to get into more trouble, so we just went with it. I hitched a ride with Bella, much to Cullen's annoyance.

"So what do you think her house is like?" I asked Bella on the way.

She shrugged without looking away from the road. We were following Emmett's jeep because apparently he lives with her or something. I guess they're related. I never would have guessed since they couldn't be more different in appearance and personality.

Emmett's really tall, buff and loud. He likes to party a lot and he's kind of a goof, always breaking rules. But he's good at heart, which is why most of the staff let him get away with it. Alice is short and extremely thin. She's really studious and uptight, always going by the plan. The only time she ever lets go is when she's acting. I've seen her onstage a few times, and I must admit she has talent.

I must have zoned out because Bella was calling, "Earth to Jasper!"

"Oh, sorry. What's up?"

"I asked your opinion on Alice," she replied. "Personally, I think she's kind of evil."

"No way! She's adorable!"

Bella arched an eyebrow.

"I mean, she's not the type to, err, be evil. She just looks like she would be one of those people you could just…" I trailed off, seeing her smirk. "Never mind. I think she's cool."

"And I think someone has a crush," Bella laughed.

"No." I rolled my eyes.

She didn't buy it.

"It's not like you and Cullen, at least," I replied.

She punched my arm and said, "Take it back."

"Nope," I laughed.

"Take it back, Whitlock, or I'll pull the car over and you can walk."

"Okay, fine. You're totally not head over heels for Cullen."

She pulled over and smirked, motioning at the door. I decided to call her bluff, taking my backpack and opening the door. The cold air hit my face and I repressed a shudder. I closed the door, pausing only to blow her a mock kiss before starting to walk. I had taken six steps when she honked and motioned with her hand to get back in. I smiled, victorious, and climbed back inside.

"I hate you, you know that? You always call my bluffs," she smiled.

"Love you too, Pumpkin," I chuckled.

The little nickname had started a few years back when we'd both been dressed as pumpkins for Halloween. She'd been bluffing about something and I made her bet on it. She'd lost and had to wear a ridiculous pumpkin outfit as her penalty. I didn't want her to feel embarrassed alone, so I surprised her by wearing an identical outfit. I knew she was thinking about it, too.

"No Pumpkin. You know I can't stand that," she replied, trying to repress a smile at the memory.

"You'll always be Pumpkin to me, Bella."

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><p><strong>AN: In case you didn't read the top, I just want to tell you guys that in case this account is deleted, I will continue the story on a different account by the pen name CarolineLikesGrumpyCats.**

**Once again, t****hank you to everyone who reads this story! As always, reviews are very much appreciated. Believe it or not, they are what keeps this story going!**

**:Dee**


	16. Shadow Snacks

**A/N: Okay, this chapter took a while. Please excuse the way I butcher the song in this chapter. I cut out some lines and corrected some of the grammatical parts, but I don't think I killed it too much…**

**Shout out to EsmePlatt95 ! Happy Birthday! This chapter is for you! Love you!**

**Enjoy! :D**

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><p><strong>Song For This Chapter: Should I Stay Or Should I Go- The Clash<strong>

_Sometimes not thinking is better than overthinking._

**Alice's POV:**

Despite everything, having everyone over seemed like an interesting idea. I mean, at least I'd be able to spend more time with Jasper and maybe Edward could finally convince Bella to not sue Rosalie. And who knows? Maybe Bella isn't all that bad. We might end up as friends.

_Hmmm… Maybe I can help her with her fashion issues. If she lets me properly apply her makeup, fix the mess on her head she calls hair, and pick her clothes, she'll probably be presentable enough to be seen in public with me. I bet we probably have more in common than we think. Actually, we might make great-_

"Yo, Alice! Get down here! We're waiting on you," Emmett yelled from the base of the stairs.

I sighed and jogged downstairs.

"Everyone's waiting for the mistress to come down from her tower and give the grand tour," Rosalie joked.

I rolled my eyes and smiled a bit. Ever since we bailed Rose, she's been friendly and I've taken a liking to her. I guess we can be considered friends.

Everyone was gathered in the foyer, standing a little awkwardly except for Emmett. He seemed right at home, but technically, he was right at home.

"Well, I guess I'm expected to give a small speech or something, right? Since my mother's at work?" I didn't wait for a response. I simply hopped down from the last step and motioned for them to follow. "I'll give a small tour and then I'll show you all to your rooms. Dinner, as Mrs. Cullen and Principal Franklin have informed me, is a mandatory event in which we are to eat together as civilized people."

They followed me down the hall and into the living room. "This is the 'family' room."

It's a large room with a huge plasma TV on one wall, complete with surround sound system, Netflix, and over 300 channels. Comfortable sofas are lined against one wall and a huge bookcase covers another wall, filled with DVDs and BluRays. On the ceiling, there's an assortment of technical lights that give the room all the lighting it needs since there aren't any windows. There's a small equalizer control on the wall next to the door that adjusts the lighting to any amount of dimness or brightness. In the middle of the room there's a large rug and a pile of pillows, perfect for lying down. It's like having a personal movie theater.

"You can come here whenever you want to watch a movie. That bookcase holds almost every popular film from the early 60's to now. There's cable and Netflix if you want TV," I said, turning on my heel and walking to the next room down.

I noticed that only Bella, Rosalie and Jasper seemed impressed. I guess Edward and Esme were used to richness. Emmett bounced happily by my side, already having seen everything in the house.

"This is the game room, Emmett's favorite," I said, leading them inside the dim room.

"Actually, the kitchen's my favorite, but this one's definitely in my top two," he grinned, walking over to the windows and drawing back the heavy curtains.

"Do you want to show them your toys?" I asked, watching the afternoon sun start to set and filter into the room.

He nodded with a maniacal smile that made me grin back. His happiness is contagious.

He went on to show them his different game consoles and his huge rack of video games. Then he showed them the Foosball table, the air hockey table, the table-tennis table, and the assorted board games that no one really played anymore. Once he finished ranting, we went to the next room.

"This is where meals are served. You're all expected here at dinner time, which is in a little less than an hour."

Since there wasn't much to see there, I led them past the long dinner table and heavy chandelier to the next room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you… The Kitchen!" Emmet announced with an over-dramatic (even for me) flourish.

It was a modern looking room with white-tiled floor and a granite island in the middle. Steel pots hung solemnly from the ceiling and black trimmed cabinets contained a variety of utensils and china. I walked to the fridge, opened it, and pulled out a cold water bottle. I tossed Emmett a sports drink.

"If you're hungry in between meals, just help yourself. There are usually leftovers and fresh foods in here. The pantry," I pointed, "Has the dry snacks and packaged stuff like chips and cookies."

Jasper hesitantly took a box of cookies from the pantry and shared with Bella.

I started walking when I remembered something. I turned back to the group and informed them in a serious tone, "You're welcome to anything in here except the wine cabinet. That's strictly off limits, not to mention illegal for minors like ourselves."

I locked eyes with Jasper and stopped talking. _Crap! He thinks I'm talking about him now!_

I went outside hurriedly to hide the mortification from my mistake. I showed them the pool, the basketball court, the gym, and the garage. Then I made sure to tell them exactly what would happen if they touched my car. It was gory.

We went back inside and I went up the stairs to show them the bedrooms. The stairs led to a small lounge painted with light blue walls and black decals. The room was mainly just for show, but I used it to do my homework and read. It contained a comfortable couch, a small bookcase, a desk with a computer, and a few portraits of my family when it was still a "family".

Jasper was looking at them curiously. He caught my eye and I turned away quickly.

Past the lounge, there was a red hallway with four white doors- two facing two. "On this floor, there are four guest bedrooms. The first on this side," I pointed, "Is Rosalie's."

Walking further down the hall, I motioned to the second door on the same side. "The next one is Jasper's. On the other side, the first door is Edward's room and the second is Bella's. Unfortunately, on this floor there are only two bathrooms that you'll have to share."

"Where are the bathrooms?" Bella asked.

"Yours is in your room, connected to Edward's room by a door. Rose, your bathroom connects with Jas-"

"What!? My room is connected with Edward's!?" Bella shrieked.

I rolled my eyes.

"For obvious reasons, you can't be allowed to be unsupervised near Rosalie. The only alternative was to have you pair with a guy-"

"Can't I be paired with Jasper? I _really_ don't trust Edward." Bella whined.

"He might be a prick but he's not a rapist, Bella." Rosalie spat.

"You would know. I'm sure you have lots of experience with rapists at your night job," Bella retaliated.

There was an audible gasp from more than three of us. Rosalie clenched her fists, trying hard not to strangle Bella again. She turned on her heel and ran downstairs. Emmett looked at Bella, muttered something that sounded like "low blow, bro" and went after her. A few seconds later, we heard the back door slam, open, and close a little more gently.

I broke the silence first. "Your family members have packed some things for you. Your luggage has already been brought up and placed in your rooms. Dinner's in," I glanced at my watch, "Fifteen minutes. Go freshen up and get settled."

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><p><strong>Bella's POV:<strong>

Dinner was an awkward event.

The three courses were amazing- A small salad at the beginning, followed by a big plate of chicken Alfredo with a bunch of different herbs and spices, and peach cobbler to top it off. But sitting with a bunch of clashing misfit kids supervised by two adults didn't exactly make a person work up an appetite.

There weren't many ways to describe the tension in the atmosphere. It was simply hostile.

Ms. Brandon sat at the head of the luxuriously long dinner table with Mrs. Cullen at her right. The two were deep in discussion about something. Alice to her mom's left, next to Jasper. They were giving each other shy smiles in between tiny bites of food. If I didn't know better, I would have thought they were flirting. Whatever awkward attempt at a flirtatious game they were playing, it was quickly outdone by Emmett and Rosalie. They were just about ready to make out and dry-hump on the table.

Emmett sat in between Mrs. Cullen and Rosalie (who kept throwing me dirty looks). Edward was sitting next to her, refusing to look at me. He hadn't met my eyes since I uttered that stupid line. I couldn't explain why I felt guilty and sad over the small fact that Edward was ignoring me. In retrospect, my words were pretty harsh. I guess I deserved it.

I sighed and poked at my cobbler, staring off into the space occupied by the empty chair in front of me. Apparently, Emmett's dad couldn't be bothered to make his scheduled guest appearance.

I finished the last bite and took my plate to the kitchen where I silently soaped, rinsed, dried, and put the plates away. I closed my eyes and dried my hands.

_How am I going to get through this?_

When I re-opened my eyes, I had an idea.

I went up the stairs and to the room they had assigned me.

It was a beautifully decorated room, just like every other room in this house. The walls were a shade of lavender too girly for my taste, but beautiful nonetheless. The trimming was golden with black detailed swirls, loops and crowns. The large, four-poster bed in the center of the room had crisp, white sheets and a soft comforter made of a deeper purple. The matching pillows had beautiful golden embroidery to go with the golden lamp on the nightstand with the purple shade. In one corner of the room, there was a plain mahogany desk and in another corner there was a matching vanity next to a large dresser drawer.

I dug through the school bag I had arrived with and found my keys. I grabbed the Monster hoodie I had thrown in a corner earlier and ran downstairs. The dining room was still occupied so I went through the back door quietly and around the house to where my car was parked. The mansion was conveniently located somewhere in the middle of the forest so there weren't any nosy neighbors to catch me or rat me out. I'd be back before anyone even noticed I was gone.

I drove with the radio set on an old rock station. The Clash was singing about staying or going and trouble. _Fits the mood_, I thought and started singing along.

"Should I stay or should I go now? If I go there will be trouble and if I stay there will be double! So you gotta let me know. Should I stay or should I go?"

Unfortunately, I was only able to catch the last few lines. The drive was short, but the song stayed in my head. I decided I would download the song later. I parked in the driveway since Charlie's cruiser wasn't there.

_I guess he's not home…_

I went inside and locked the door behind me. I sighed, glad to be home. In the kitchen, I pulled out my trusty phone and went to the music downloader app. I found the song and set my phone on the counter to let it download. I began rummaging under the sink, searching for a box. As if on cue, a furry creature appeared at the kitchen window.

"Hey Shadow," I smiled and opened the window.

He hopped through in a single, graceful leap. I envied his poise. When I squatted back down to pull out his fish-shaped cat snacks, he climbed into my lap and rubbed his head against my belly. I put the snack box on the counter and hugged the kitten to my chest. He purred under his black, furry coat and looked at me through big green eyes. I kissed his little forehead, hopped onto the counter and fed him a treat from my hand while he sat on my lap.

He hopped down when he finished and sashayed away with his tail held high into the living room. I smiled and checked my phone. It had finished downloading so I played the song. I peeked into the fridge and pulled out a bottle of green tea.

"_Darlin' you gotta let me know_," I sang quietly, staring out the window and thinking about nothing and everything. "_Should I stay or should I go?_"

"_If you say that you are mine_," a melodious voice sang into my ear, "_I'll be there till the end of time_."

I gasped and whipped around. "What the hell are you doing here, Cullen?"

He smirked and shrugged, "Don't worry about it, Swan."

I scrambled to put some distance between us. "Did you follow me?"

"_Should I stay or should I go?_" He sang.

"You should go," I said seriously.

"_It's always tease, tease, tease_," he continued, inching closer.

"_You're happy when I'm on my knees_." I said crossly. "Get out, dude. You're not getting laid."

"Seriously, Bella? I just want a date. What do I have to do?"

"How about stop being a bipolar creep? _One day is fine, the next is black_. I never know where I stand with you. Like one day you're all 'I wanna get in your pants only because I think you're hot' and the next you're saving my life, being sweet and sleeping by my hospital bed!" I ranted. "Plus, hello, I have a boyfriend."

I was all too aware how the boyfriend thing was not the first excuse that came to my head. He noticed too.

"_So if you want me off your back, well come on and let me know." _He was really close now, but my back was to the counter and I was trapped.

"_Should I stay or should I go?" _He whispered, his body pressing feather-light against me. I found myself staring at his lips and wishing something I could not have.

_Should I stay or should I go now? If I go there will be trouble, and if I stay there will be double._

"_This indecision's buggin' me. If you don't want me set me free_," he leaned in, dangerously close to my mouth. I didn't move.

_Exactly who am I supposed to be?_ The rational Bella who has a boyfriend (an angry boyfriend at that, who will literally kill me if he finds out about this) or the stupid Bella who does what she wants without thinking about the consequences? I hardly know Edward and he doesn't know me at all. He just wants to get in my pants, but would that really be so terrible? I mean, he's gorgeous…

No! Don't even go there, Bella! _Should I stay or should I go now?_ Stay! Stay here on safe land! Don't fall for his charms!

_If I go there will be trouble… But if I stay there will be double!_ I can't stay with Jake forever… And honestly, I like the idea of going into the dangerous unknown.

And then I lost control of all logical thoughts. In fact, I couldn't think anything at all because his lips were suddenly on mine.

And all I could do was respond.

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><p><strong>AN: Aaak, cliffy! xD**

**So many questions and they'll all be answered next time! Will Bella and Edward sleep together? Will Jacob walk in on them? Is Shadow scratching the furniture? Review to find out what happens next!**

**:Dee**


	17. Enough Is Enough

**A/N: Really quick, thank you to everyone who reviews! I'd like to dedicate this chapter to all the anonymous reviewers. I do reply to all reviews and if I haven't, I'm really sorry; I probably just overlooked it or meant to write but I forgot.**

**Anyway, quick shout out to AllTimeLow: Yes! I do listen to them! Pierce The Veil is my all-time favorite band! I absolutely adore Sleeping With Sirens! Kellin Quinn is so adorable! I pretty much have every song by those two bands! I'm not crazy about Bring Me The Horizon, but I do like some of their songs. I will try to include your request in the story :D**

**To the anonymous reviewer, Guest: I'm sorry, but it is an Edward/Bella story, so I have to put one of their moments in somewhere, right? And although this chapter is about them, I promise the next one won't!**

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><p><strong>Song For This Chapter: Pick Up The Phone- Falling In Reverse<strong>

_There's only so far you can go before you say enough is enough._

"Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?  
>Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end<br>as your lies crumble down, a new life she has found

Face down in the dirt, she said,  
>'This doesn't hurt', she said,<br>'I finally had enough.'"

~Face Down, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

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><p><strong>BPOV:<strong>

His lips were warm and damp, but not in a bad way. They moved with mine in perfect harmony, molded like they were meant for each other. His tongue skimmed the edge of my bottom lip, asking for entrance, and I happily complied. I felt his smile as our tongues fought for dominance in a synchronized dance and I couldn't help but moan softly into his mouth. My hands tangled in his hair while his hands teased the edge of my shirt, sliding under and kneading the sensitive skin at my waist. With every gentle touch, I could feel electricity going through my body, awakening every nerve, making every hair stand on end.

He pulled away to breathe but his hands held firmly onto my waist. We stood there, forehead to forehead, trying to catch our breaths for a second. A heartbreaking smile appeared on his lips and I realized what I had done.

_Shit!_

I pushed him away from me and scrambled to put some distance between us, but he tugged on my hand and in an instant I was in his arms again. He leaned back in and for a moment I felt the electric connection resurface as I lost myself in his intoxicating scent. I recalled my promise to Jasper just in time to see my arm react on its own. My palm smacked into the side of Edward's beautiful face with a loud smack and he gasped, taking an instinctive step back.

He gaped at me with genuinely hurt and confused green eyes in stunned silence for what seemed like an eternity. I finally broke the silence with an accusation. "What the hell was that, Cullen?"

"I could ask the same of you, Swan."

"You kissed me!" I tried for indignant.

"But you kissed back. That's usually the universal sign for 'keep going'," he frowned. "And slapping me was completely uncalled for."

"Uncalled for? I was pushing you away! That's usually the universal sign for 'stop right there'!" My voice was rising, bordering on hysterical. "And I didn't kiss you back."

"Yes you did!"

"No I di-"

A banging on the door interrupted our arguing.

"Bellaaaa!" A familiar voice called from outside. It made the blood drain from my face and sent goosebumps up my arms.

"Mother-" I started.

"BELLA!" It yelled.

" You have to go! Now!" I whisper-yelled frantically at Edward.

"What? Why?"

"It's Jacob! You have to get out. He'll kill you if he sees you here! Go through the back door."

He sensed my panic and took my face in between his hands. "Be brave," he whispered and planted a soft, quick peck on my lips.

He disappeared upstairs before I could react. A loud crunch of wood brought me back to my senses. "BELLA!"

I ran through the kitchen and living room to the door where Jacob stood in the hall. The door had been busted through and was hanging awkwardly by only one hinge.

"Jacob," I muttered, breathlessly scared.

"Hey there, Bells," he slurred with an evil smirk. He walked up to me and grabbed my hair, throwing me against a wall. He kissed me roughly, pushing his tongue into my mouth against my will. I grimaced against his lips, trying to ignore the gross way he tasted of stale alcohol.

_Wow, what a huge difference to Edward's expert kiss!_

He stepped away and went into the kitchen. I followed dutifully with silent terror.

"What are you doing here, Ja-"

He whirled around incredibly fast and landed the back of his hand on my face with a loud smack. I fell sideways into the counter, bruising my ribs against the sharp edge. "Don't question me, you little bitch! Can't you just be happy I'm home? Or did I interrupt your night with your new boyfriend?"

_Holy crap! How does he know these things? Wait, Edward's not my boy-_

Jacob slapped me hard with the same hand, sending me kneeling on the floor. "Answer me!"

"No, Jake, please. Just calm down," I pleaded. "There's no one here!

He kicked and I barely managed to dodge, but he grabbed my hair in a fist and pulled me to my feet, demanding to know where I had hidden my lover. "No! Jacob, there's no one here! Please, stop!"

He wouldn't hear of it. He simply shoved me into the wall and yelled, "Shut up, you stupid whore!"

Shadow came in, hissing and growling at Jacob, but he kicked the kitten into the wall. He squeaked and slid to the floor with a soft thud, his body remaining motionless.

I let out a bloodcurdling scream as my fear transformed into rage. I grabbed the nearest object, a big chopping knife, and threw it at him with all my might. He laughed when it hit the wall behind him on the wrong end.

"Really Bella? You're trying to kill me now?" He was laughing harder, but with a menacing edge. "Dumb move, bitch. You're only pissing me off. You wouldn't like it when I get pissed off."

He bent to pick it up and started to stalk towards me. Panic rose in my chest and I ran into the living room, but I tripped on something and fell on my face. I felt him kick my side, hard. An agonized cry escaped my lips when I felt something in there crack. He pulled me by my ankle while I screamed for help. I twisted around in time to him raise the knife above my head, a manic grin slowly spreading across his face. He was on his knees, straddling me and laughing- _laughing!_ I felt like I was trapped in a horror movie; the whole situation was surreal.

_Would he really kill me?_

I never knew because he was suddenly pulled off of me. I screamed as the knife he held fell on my arm. Luckily, it only made a scratch. I pushed myself into a half-slouching/half-sitting position and propped up against the wall. I watched as Edward threw Jacob into the stove and pounded his head against the metal grills. He held him by the hair and punched his face. After delivering a knee to the stomach, Edward aimed for another blow at the face, but Jacob caught his hand and twisted his wrist in one fluid movement. He pushed Edward's face onto the wall with his left arm bent behind him, slowly pushing it farther up his back as Edward groaned in agony.

"Nooo!" I screamed. "Let him go, Jacob! Please! Don't do this!"

I could hardly breathe, my nose was runny, I could not see past the crazy stream of tears flooding my eyes, my makeup was all over my face, and my ribs were probably broken. My head was about to explode, every single inch of me was aching, all I wanted was to die, and I'm not exactly sure why, but my hands were bloody.

I'd had enough.

I don't know what came over me, but suddenly I was done. Maybe it was the fact that I had been putting up with Jacob's emotional bullshit for the past two years, but all I knew was that I was just so sick and tired of fighting each other- all the lying, the crying, and calling my mother! The calling of names that always left me bothered and smothered!

Or maybe it was the physical part that had pushed me over the edge. It's such a dangerous cycle I don't understand- the kicking, the screaming, and the breaking of limbs! I'm damned if he sees me with any other man, because in his mindset, if he can't have me then nobody can.

It might have even been the subconscious connection between my first bone broken by Jacob and Edward's soon-to-be broken arm. It had been my left arm just last year.

Whatever it was, it pissed me the hell off. I was through taking his crap like a freaking toilet. I'm a human being and I have limits! I refused to put up with that miserable excuse for a man any longer! He could take his issues and shove them so far up his ass he'd be able to reach the stick he's had in there for years. Maybe if he took it out, he wouldn't be such a dickhead to me!

I took a few silent steps toward the sink and picked up a heavy pan. He had his back to me and couldn't hear me over his own sinister laughter. It took some strength and a heap of bravery, but I held the pan above the back of his head for a second and then brought it down with all the force in my body.

He instantly fell in a crumpled heap to the floor.

I slid down the wall with Edward, exhausted, shaking, and on the brink of hysterics. He hugged me close, smoothing away my tears with his sleeve. He held me, rocking me gently and whispering soothing words into my ear. I could have stayed there forever, but the shock was starting to ebb away and I could feel the terrible burning in my ribs.

"What took you so long?" I whispered.

He tensed for second before nuzzling me and whispering, "I'm sorry."

I don't know how long we stayed there, but when his tears finally stopped running down my throat, the shock had worn away completely and there was a terrible pounding in my head. My ribs were on fire.

"I think my dad's at home. He can check you out there or we can go to the hospital if you…"

"Shadow," I gasped, wincing with the stab in my side.

His limp body had remained immobile for so long, I feared he was dead. But one cute triangular ear perked at the mention of his name and his big, green eyes popped open. He sat up, shook his tiny head, and trotted over to me. He almost slipped, apparently still dizzy from his fall, and I almost bawled all over again when he hopped into my lap. I laughed giddily, despite my injuries, when I realized he wasn't hurt at all. He yawned and settled in for a tummy rub.

Edward carried me to his car and despite everything that had happened, I fell asleep during the ride with Shadow safely in my arms. The last thing I heard was Edward's musical murmur.

"Everything's going to be okay."

And he was right. I could worry about broken bones and dead boyfriends and damaged kitchens in the morning. I'd face the consequences tomorrow.

At least for tonight, everything was going to be okay.

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><p><strong>AN: I know what you're wondering!**

"**IS JACOB DEAD!?"**

**Don't panic yet! Everything will be answered soon, but in the meantime, reviews make my day!**

**:Dee**


	18. May I Kiss You?

**A/N: Happy 4****th**** of July everyone! For those of you not from the US, 4****th**** of July is our Independence Day. We celebrate with fireworks and food c: ! Hope it was an awesome day for all of you. Anyway, here's the next chapter, kind of late, but in my defense, I had a LOT of rewriting to do. The original chapter was pretty different from the end result. I just hope you like the finished product.**

**Enjoy! :D**

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><p><strong>2 Songs for This Chapter:<strong>

**Hummingbird- NeverShoutNever!**

**Did It Hurt? – NeverShoutNever!**

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><p><strong>"If you were gonna leave this world, how could it be without me?"<strong>  
><strong>~ The Boy Who Could Fly, Pierce The Veil 3<strong>

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><p><strong>Alice:<strong>

After dinner, I immediately retreated to my room on the third floor. I hurried to my bathroom, snatched my toothbrush, and kneeled by the toilet. I took a deep, steadying breath and prepared for the disgusting act I'd preformed a million times before.

With the brushless end of my toothbrush, I poked at the very back of my mouth, going past my tonsils and slightly down my throat. I gagged twice before throwing up the contents of my dinner into the toilet. My eyes watered as I repeated the process over and over, coughing and groaning as I went. The little voice in my head started to cheer me on.

_Come on, Alice. You can do this. One more. Just think of your weight. This morning you were at 97. Keep going, Alice. You can do it._

I continued upchucking until all that would come out was acid and saliva. Then I closed the lid on the toilet and sank against the wall, sobbing.

_Why am I so fat? All I want is to be pretty and skinny… I already work out five days a week and I almost never keep food in my stomach long enough to digest..._

"I just want to be thin…" I whispered.

Eventually I got up and looked into the mirror. I looked terrible. I rinsed my toothbrush, cleaned my mouth from any traces of puke left, and chewed on a breath mint.

Someone knocked on my bedroom door. I quickly flushed the toilet and washed my hands. The room was spinning when I unlocked the door. I felt the floor slip under me and then everything went black.

* * *

><p><strong>Jasper:<strong>

I knocked on Alice's door gently. No one answered. I knocked again a little harder. Maybe she was asleep. The door was slightly ajar, so I pushed a bit until it cracked open about a foot. I couldn't see much because it was so dark, but I caught a glimpse of deep green curtains and a black, marble desk adorned with random trinkets and loose papers. I pushed the door a little more. "Ms. Brandon?"

I heard a toilet flush, the sink being used, and finally a door being unbolted. I didn't want t be un-gentlemanly and walk into her room uninvited, so I stood by the somewhat opened door.

I cleared my throat and called her name again a bit louder. Once again there was no answer and I started to worry.

The atmosphere was eerily tense and I could feel something bad was happening. There was and inexplicably tangible pain in the air. I panicked when I heard a body hit the floor.

"Alice!" I burst in, looking around in the dim lighting. I flipped on the switch and found Alice's limp body on the floor next to her bathroom door. I rushed to her, kneeling and propping her head on my lap. I quickly checked for a pulse. "Oh my god, Alice, wake up."

I picked her frail body up easily and set her in the middle of her giant bed, adjusting a stack of colorful pillows under her legs to keep them in the air. After a second of hesitation, I removed her tight-fitting vest and undid her shirt buttons. I went into the bathroom and found a hand towel that I quickly wet with warm water from the sink. I went back to her and sat down, moistening her forehead, cheeks, and neck with the towel. I fanned her with a random flyer littering the floor.

The terrifying anxiety I felt confused me. I barely knew the girl and I was acting like she was long-lost lover. I quietly chastised myself. But I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she really was. Her jet black hair made a stark contrast with her creamy skin.

_Much like Heidi..._

I found myself wishing she would open her eyelids and allow me to look into her… Were her eyes blue or green? I could have sworn they looked green during the little tour, but during dinner, I'm pretty sure they were blue.

Huh. Dinner. That was certainly a strange event.

"Please wake up, Alice… I need to see your eyes again," I whispered.

"Jasper…" She mumbled.

"Yes, Alice, I'm here."

"Don't leave me, Jasper," she mumbled.

I knew she was half unconscious and that she wouldn't remember this moment, so I took the opportunity.

"I'll never leave _you_, Alice. Please don't ever leave _me_."

* * *

><p><strong>Alice<em>:<em>**

I woke up to the sounds of someone's magical voice singing quietly. I recognized the voice, but my brain refused to give me the person's name. My eyelids were impossibly heavy, but I opened them and found a beautiful reward.

"Jasper?" I asked, confused as to why he was sitting on my bed and holding my hand. Not that I minded, but I didn't remember getting here. Much less did I remember taking off my vest and...

_Oh my god, my shirt!_

I scrambled to sit upright, which I immediately regretted as my head began to pound and swirl in a terribly choreographed headache. I snatched my hand away to re-button my shirt. "What are you doing here?"

He looked slightly disappointed and his brilliant blue eyes clouded over with some unnamed emotion. "I… You fainted and I helped you."

When I didn't reply he went on, "How are you feeling? I think you might have hit your head. We can go to the hospital, if you'd like."

"No!"

"Um, okay. Would you like me to fetch your mother?"

"No! That's worse! Under no circumstances can anyone else know that I passed out."

"Okay." After a brief awkward silence, he spoke again. "Miss Brandon, is there anything you would like? A glass of water, perhaps?"

"Why do you talk like that? All formal and everything?"

"I…" He shrugged. "I don't know. I suppose it's just the way I am."

"Then at least call me Alice. I think I asked you before."

"As you wish… Alice," he smiled.

I grinned back, a genuine smile that felt foreign but pleasant. I couldn't remember the last time I'd smiled that way. "Lie down with me, Jasper. Please."

He hesitated for a second before lying next to me a bit awkwardly. I took his arm and draped it on the pillows behind my head and back around so that I could hold his hand. Then I scooted closer so that my head was resting lightly on his chest.

"I like you, Jasper," I stated. I don't know where the sudden burst of confidence came from. Being with him just made me a happier person, and I tend to be more assertive when I'm happy. It's like he could influence my emotions somehow.

He laughed, causing my head to move with his chest. I smiled. His laugh was such a beautiful sound. I liked the fact that I was the one who caused it. It suddenly occurred to me that I didn't hear him laugh very often. The only other times I'd seen him laugh were with Bella. I didn't like that. Jealousy spread throughout my body, causing my free hand to ball up into a fist.

He seemed to sense my change in emotion instantly. He simply took my fist and spread out all my fingers slowly, melting me with his touch, and intertwined our fingers. I took both of our locked hands and held them over my heart.

"You don't talk much, do you?"

He laughed again; I smiled again.

"It takes me a while to get comfortable enough to talk to people," he replied quietly.

"Isn't this comfortable enough?" I couldn't help the disappointment evident in my voice.

"Oh, it's plenty comfortable," he squeezed my hand. "It's just… I have…"

"Tell me," I said.

"I have issues. Medically, the terms are anxiety and depression." He said. I blinked and he rushed on, "I used to take medication for it so it's not quite as bad as it used to be. I stopped taking the prescription and I started to, uh, take… non-prescription drugs to cope. It's not really… I…" He stopped and sighed. "I suppose you probably think I'm a freak now."

I tightened my grip on his hands when he tried to pull away. "No, I don't."

I looked up at his beautiful sapphire eyes. This beautiful troubled man had just confided in me something I doubted many people knew about. The least I could do was… "I'm bulimic."

His eyes grew a couple shades darker with sadness and some other unnamed emotion. "Alice… Why?"

"I…" I shrugged. "I'm fat."

He let out a long breath and sat up, keeping my hands in his. I sat up too and we sat cross-legged for a few minutes.

"Alice… I know anything I say won't make a difference. I know that it's a mental state you're in and you won't budge no matter how much I try to make you see. I had a… friend who was in the same position some time ago. I know how this works, but I have to try."

He squeezed my hands lightly.

"Alice, you are anything but fat. You're extremely thin. Please, Alice, you are _beautiful_. And I'm begging you to stop doing that to yourself. You passed out today and it wasn't terrible, but tomorrow you might…"

I'd started crying silently and he leaned in to wipe my tears away. He kissed my forehead tenderly and pulled my chin up with a gentle finger to look into my eyes before continuing. "Please, Alice, you have to see that you're amazing just the way you are. You have to stop hurting yourself. You're _killing_ yourself."

He leaned in inches from my mouth. I held my breath, fighting the crazy butterflies in my stomach.

"Alice, I care about you deeply. And I don't want anything to happen to you. Alice, I…"

"Yes?"

_Is he saying what I think he's saying?_

He hesitated before asking. "May I kiss you?"

_Oh._

"Stop being so polite," I smiled and leaned in the last few spaces to kiss him.

He held my face lovingly, kissing me softly, sweetly. My stomach was a crazy array of butterflies and fireworks. I kissed back eagerly, pouring my heart out to him and letting him delve into my soul, into my deepest feelings for him. He smiled against my lips and I couldn't help but smile back. Something happened then. Some invisible wall tumbled to the ground and I could feel his affection, his love and adoration. I felt his deep care for me and I felt on top of the world knowing that he felt the same way I did. I knew right then and there that my feelings for this man were way beyond a simple crush, and that I never wanted to spend a day without him.

When we came up for air, he smiled fondly at me. I felt myself return the full-hearted smile.

* * *

><p><strong>Rosalie:<strong>

Emmett and I stood in front of the sink washing the last of the dishes. I'd washed my own after the amazing meal and taken the adult's dishes out of politeness. Emmett had joined me after Edward dumped his dishes into the sink and rushed out the door. We would have finished ages ago, but I'd decided to wash all the pots and pans that had been used to cook as well. We took our time, playing truth or dare and having the occasional bubble fight to prolong our few moments alone with each other.

"Okay, my turn. Truth or dare?" He asked.

"Truth," I replied.

"Hmmm…" He looked away, deep in thought. "Is it true that… No, never mind. I'll find another question. Uhh…"

"Say it," I frowned.

"No, you'll get offended."

"Why?"

"Because I'm Emmett and tend to do that to people, but I don't want to do that to you."

"Why not?"

"Because I care about you," he answered, looking into my eyes sincerely.

"I care about you too," I replied, mesmerized by his brownish hazel eyes.

His lips were suddenly on mine and I ditched the bowl I was scrubbing to pull his face closer to mine with soapy hands. We were a tangled mess of arms and hands and legs and hair. He lifted me onto the counter and kissed me with a fierce passion I reciprocated completely. I wrapped my legs around him and tugged on his shirt collar. He groaned, fingering the edge of my shirt as I grinded against him subtly. He broke the liplock first, gasping for air.

"Rose," he said sternly in a half-growl.

It was hot.

"Yes?"

"Stop it," he helped me hop off and returned to the dishes.

No words could ever describe my complete bafflement. Had I done something wrong? Why had he left me all hot and bothered? I was certain it wasn't me. Nobody had ever rejected me before. It made me angry, frustrated and super curious.

But most of all, it made me determined.

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><p><strong>AN: Okay, you decide now! Should there be a Rose/Emmett lemon? Please comment your opinion in a review! I'll write the next chapter based on how many people voted yes or no! Hope you liked it.**

**Also, pretty much all suggestions are incorporated into the story. As long as it's something that doesn't completely change the entire plot, I do try to remember to add them. So if you have any ideas that you'd like to see come to life, feel free.**

**:Dee**

**PS- I know the eye and hair colors might be different from how the books said they were. Every fic has variations. Here's how they are in this story:**

**Edward- Dark red hair/dark green eyes**

**Bella- Brown hair (dyed black with blue)/ light brown eyes**

**Jasper- Dark blonde hair/ deep blue eyes**

**Alice- Black hair/ bluish green eyes**

**Emmett- Black hair/ brownish hazel eyes**

**Rosalie- Golden hair/ grayish blue eyes**


	19. Not What You Think

Wow. It's been nearly a year since I last posted on this story.

I don't know how I feel about that.

How do you come back from that? How do you wake up one day, walk over to your computer, write another chapter and post as if nothing happened? You don't. Not on sites like these, where author/reader relationships are what fuel the stories. It's not like writing a book where you write and write and edit and write some more until you have something to ship off for mass-manufacturing of a physical object. No, on sites like these you're letting the reader consume as you write, you're providing small bits of an unfinished product in return for feedback and criticism, hoping to improve your writing as you go along.

So naturally when you take a long break from something of this nature, you're bound to be a little lost upon your return. And often, horrified at your terrible writing, as is my case.

As you guys know from my previous Author's Notes, I have a bit of craziness upstairs and I've had trouble dealing with it, hurting myself and all kinds of people in the process, both intentionally and unintentionally. For about two years, it was a hell of a rollercoaster, but I think the final drop has passed and in the past year, my life has started to stabilize, slowly rolling into the station.

People will tell you that life is like a rollercoaster, but they fail to mention that you only get off when you're dead. You go in loops, racing through the course time after time, pausing to change passengers and taking off again, experiencing a million emotions when you're climbing up and falling down. It never ends, the shaking and tumbling and tossing and looping and screaming and the butterflies that swirl horribly and awesomely in your stomach, crawling up your throat and escaping in a scream, a scream that starts off in panic and frustration and fear and it melts, like chocolate in the sun, it melts into pure, unadulterated exhilaration and adrenaline, pumping through your veins, clawing at your heart, making you smile and laugh and shake in utter giddiness and that crazy feeling of success.

You can't switch positions with the conductor. You can't even bribe him into stalling the ride for a couple minutes. But you can try to enjoy the ride.

Three years ago, I started something I didn't know would have such an impact on my life. A Fanfiction account.

I was obsessed with Twilight and aching to read more about my second favorite characters in the world (Harry Potter being first). I came upon two fics, both written by different people but with pretty much the same plot in mind, and when I got to the end, I discovered both stories had been abandoned! It was incredibly frustrating, and I remember it well, which is part of the reason I'm scared of coming back. I understand how you guys feel.

I set my mind on writing my own story, keeping the general idea but branching off in my own direction, adding my own style, my own twist. And I promised myself I wouldn't be like them, I wasn't going to let my audience down, if I ever got one (and surprisingly enough, I did. Thanks guys! :D).

But wouldn't you know it, less than a year into writing, the universe decided to do what it does best and screw me over. It slapped me in the face and knocked me on my ass with a freaking mental illness (thanks universe .-.) and so I put the story on hiatus. Sometime after that, when I thought I was all better, I resumed the story, and within a couple months, I found myself leaving again for an unofficial hiatus that seemed more like a mysterious disappearance.

And now, here I am again, hoping to finally finish what I started. But there's a problem.

I've reread this story, and I am appalled. There aren't enough negative adjectives to describe how I feel about it. It's terrible. Plain terrible.

So in order to continue whatever this is now, I must go back and redo everything. I want to tear it all down and build it back up, paint it pretty colors and add fancy curtains. And then I want to step outside, lock the door, and walk away without looking back. In other words, I'm going to rewrite what I have, give it an ending, and then log out of this account forever.

I was considering shutting down the account instead of this, but I feel like authors have an unspoken agreement with readers to conclude their stories. It is, after all, the only way to thank you for your bottomless support. Without you, there really wouldn't be a story. I would've given up long ago.

This is the marvel of such sites. And it's thanks to people like you, on sites like these, that so many people are inspired to create and to pursue, to discover and be discovered. I found out I enjoyed writing on this site, with this story, the first story I ever wrote, and it's thanks to you, my amazing audience, that I discovered I wasn't half bad at what I loved. I just needed practice. And now, with all that practice in mind, I want you to allow me to take this story and rework it into something better, something worthy of an audience like you.

I'm not going to turn this into something totally far off from what is already done, if that's what worries you. I'll keep the basic idea, much like I did three years ago, but I feel like the story is rushed and I want to fix that with character development. I'd also like to introduce new characters to help the transition and maybe add some subplots to enhance what's already here. I'm considering sticking to one point of view, but that's iffy because I know that some of you enjoy the multiple points of view. I'd like to give closure with an ending that I cannot reveal too much about, but that I'd planned since the beginning, with the new addition of alternative endings just for shits and giggles.

I'll understand if you think it's too much and would prefer to read something else. Thank you so much for going with me this far and I sincerely wish you the best of luck in all future endeavors.

If you choose to stick around, I cannot express my gratitude enough. If I could, I would gladly send each and every one of you a gift basket. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you are the reason this story is here.

I do not know how long it will take me to rewrite and complete this story, but I am hoping to get it done before I graduate next June. Updates will probably be slow, but persistent (fingers crossed). So with that in mind, I want to thank you all again for everything you guys have done. Even if you only read the first page and decided to find something else, you're appreciated.

Hope to see you soon,

:Dee


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